One-electron reduction of thionine studied by pulse radiolysis

One-electron reduction of thionine has been studied by using the technique of nanosecond pulse radiolysis and kinetic spectrophotometry. H,e _aq ⁻ as well as radicals derived from methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, THF, dioxane andt-butanol by H atom abstraction were used as reductants. The rate constants for the transfer of electrons from these radicalts to thionine were directly determined from the pseudo first-order formation rates of the product, semithionine and the one-electron reduction potential of thionine estimated. The absorption spectrum of semithionine in its different conjugate acid-base forms was found to be in agreement with previously reported spectra and the decay of the species was second order. By monitoring transient absorbance changes as a function of pH, twopK _a values were observed and, based on the effect of ionic strength on the second-order decay constants of the species were assigned to the equilibria described.