Hydroxyl radical formation by O-O bond homolysis in peroxynitrous acid

Peroxynitrite decay in weakly alkaline media occurs by two concurrent sets of pathways which are distinguished by their reaction products. One set leads to net isomerization to NO(3)(-) and the other set to net decomposition to O(2) plus NO(2)(-). At sufficiently high peroxynitrite concentrations, the decay half-time becomes concentration-independent and approaches a limiting value predicted by a mechanism in which reaction is initiated by unimolecular homolysis of the peroxo O-O bond, i.e., the following reaction: ONOOH --> (*)OH + (*)NO(2). This dynamical behavior excludes alternative postulated mechanisms that ascribe decomposition to bond rearrangement within bimolecular adducts. Nitrate and nitrite product distributions measured at very low peroxynitrite concentrations also correspond to predictions of the homolysis model, contrary to a recent report from another laboratory. Additionally, (1) the rate constant for the reaction ONOO(-) --> (*)NO + (*)O(2)(-), which is critical to the kinetic model, has been confirmed, (2) the apparent volume of activation for ONOOH decay (DeltaV() = 9.7 +/- 1.4 cm(3)/mol) has been shown to be independent of the concentration of added nitrite and identical to most other reported values, and (3) complex patterns of inhibition of O(2) formation by radical scavengers, which are impossible to rationalize by alternative proposed reaction schemes, are shown to be quantitatively in accord with the homolysis model. These observations resolve major disputes over experimental data existing in the literature; despite extensive investigation of these reactions, no verifiable experimental evidence has been advanced that contradicts the homolysis model.     

Analysis of the reactivities of protein C-H bonds to H atom abstraction by OH radical

Ab initio and density functional theory calculations are used to monitor the process wherein a OH· radical is allowed to approach the various CH groups of a Leu dipeptide, with its CH(2)CH(CH(3))(2) side chain. After forming an encounter complex, the OH· abstracts the pertinent H atom, and the resulting HOH is then dissociated from the complex. The energy barriers for H· abstraction from the β, γ, and δ CH groups are all less than 8 kcal/mol, but a significantly higher barrier is computed for the C(α)H removal. This higher barrier is the result of the strong H-bonds formed in the encounter complex between the OH· and the NH and C═O groups of the peptide units that surround the C(α) atom. This low-energy complex represents a kinetic trap which raises the energy needed to surmount the ensuing H· transfer barrier.     

Some hydrogen atom abstraction reactions of CF2H and CFH2 radicals,and the C?H bond dissociation energy in CF2H2

By photolyzing (CF₂H)₂CO and (CFH₂)₂CO the hydrogen atom abstraction reactions of CF₂H radicals with (CF₂H)₂CO, H₂, D₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, n? C₄H₁₀ and iso? C₄H₁₀, and the reactions of CFH₂ radicals with (CFH₂)₂CO and n? C₄H₁₀, have been studied. Arrhenius parameters for these reactions are compared with related systems. From a knowledge of the activation energies for the forward and reverse reactions a value of the bond dissociation energy, D(CF₂H? H) = 97.4 ± 1.3 kcal mole^?1 at a mean temperature of 543°K is obtained. This value is subject to much uncertainty due to possible compensation effects in the Arrhenius parameters. These effects are discussed for this and the other reactions, and the data suggest that D(CF₂H? H) is approximately 100 kcal mole^?1, and that D(CFH₂? H) is very similar. Other literature data tend to confirm these approximate values.     

Estimation of dissociation energies of C—H bonds in oxygen-containing compounds from kinetic data for radical abstraction reactions

The C—H bond dissociation energies were calculated on the basis of the parabolic model from the rate constants of free radical reactions for more than 160 oxygen-containing compounds. The enthalpies of formation of free radicals formed from these compounds were calculated. The method was modified taking into account the influence of functional groups on the partial rate constant and for the case when the reference reaction in the reaction series belongs to another class of structurally similar reactions.     

Estimation of rate constants for hydrogen atom abstraction by OH radicals using the C?H bond dissociation enthalpies: Haloalkanes and haloethers

We propose a semiempirical procedure for the estimation of the rate constants for hydrogen atom abstraction reactions of OH radicals with haloalkanes and haloethers. Our procedure is derived from the collision theory based kinetic equation, which was originally proposed by Heicklen (Int. J. Chem. Kinet. 1981, 13 , 651). This equation provides the estimates for the rate constants of hydrogen abstraction from the C? H bond dissociation enthalpy for each potential hydrogen atom abstraction site. We reparameterized the equation and then applied this procedure to a series of haloalkane and haloether molecules. The results obtained from the new equations are found to be quite satisfactory. In addition, we also report highly reliable calculated values of the C? H bond dissociation enthalpies for six environmentally important haloether molecules (CH₂FOCH₂F, CHF₂CF₂OCH₂CF₃, CF₃CH₂OCH₂CF₃, CF₃CF₂CH₂OCHF₂, CHF₂OCF₂CHFCl, and CHF₂OCHClCF₃). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 130–138, 2003     

Reactions of the IO· radical resulting in hydrogen atom abstraction from halogen-containing molecules

A jet-stream kinetic technique and the resonance fluorescence method applied to detection of iodine atoms were used to measure the rate constants of the reactions of the IO^· radical with the halohydrocarbons CHFCl-CF₂Cl (k = (3.2 ± 0.9) × 10^?16 cm³ molecule s^?1) and CH₂ClF (k = (9.4 ± 1.3) × 10^?16 cm³ molecule s^?1), the hydrogen-containing haloethers CF₃-O-CH₃ (k = (6.4 ± 0.9) × 10^?16 cm³ molecule s^?1) and CF₃CH₂-O-CHF₂ (k = (1.2 ± 0.6) × 10^?15 cm³ molecule s^?1), and hydrogen iodide (k = (1.3 ± 0.9) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule s^?1) at 323 K.     

The correlation of rate coefficients for H-atom abstraction by HO radicals with C?H bond dissociation enthalpies

For H-atom abstraction reactions by HO radicals it has been shown that If D_i is taken as the C? H bond dissociation enthalpy at 298 K, then a = 0.323 and D₀is obtained from the empirical formula where D₀ is in kcal/mol and T is in K. Thisrelationship is valid for T between 200 and 400 K. Finally empiricalrelationships are given to help estimate D_i.     

Theoretical study on the hydrogen abstraction reactions from hydrazine derivatives by H atom

The hydrogen abstraction reactions from hydrazine and its methyl derivatives by the H atom have been investigated theoretically by using CBS-QB3//DSD-BLYP-D3(BJ)/Def2-TZVP quantum chemical calculations and transition state theory calculations coupled with various tunneling correction methods. Both the products and transition state energies of the hydrogen abstraction from the amino group were stabilized by the methyl group substitution. The substitution effect on the ^αN site was two times larger than that on the ^βN site. On the other hand, the substitution effect was negligible on the hydrogen abstraction from the methyl group. The overall rate coefficients of N₂H₄ + H reaction calculated by canonical variational transition state theory with the small-curvature tunneling correction agreed well with previously reported values, but those of CH₃NHNH₂/(CH₃)₂NNH₂ + H were slightly lower than a previous experimental value. The product-specific rate coefficients have been proposed for the kinetics modeling of these fuels’ combustion.     

A theoretical study of hydrogen—atom abstraction by methyl radical

The activation energies for the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from each of several hydrocarbons has been calculated using the AM1 molecular orbital method. The calculated barrier for the abstraction from methane is 15.5 kcal/mole, in good agreement with experiment. Calculated barriers for other abstractions are reasonably good. They are much improved when the calculated intrinsic barrier is used together with the experimental heats of reaction in a modified formulation of Marcus theory.     

Free-radical abstraction reactions with concerted fragmentation and NO formation

The enthalpy and activation energy of reactions involving attack by MeO₂^? and MeO₂^? on CH₂ groups of 2-butyl nitrite and 2-nitrosobutane have been calculated by quantum chemical methods. The abstraction of a hydrogen atom is accompanied, in the former case, by concerted N–O bond breaking and, in the latter case, by concerted C–N bond breaking, resulting in NO? formation. On the basis of the results obtained, an algorithm has been developed within the intersecting parabolas model for calculating the enthalpies, activation energies, and rate constants of these types of reactions involving alkyl, alkoxyl, aminyl, peroxyl, phenoxyl, thiyl, and hydroxyl radicals.     

Hydrogen atom abstraction from polypropylene and polystyrene by t-butoxy radical site of radical attack studied by spin trapping

In order to elucidate the site of radical attack on polypropylene and polystyrene, the abstractions of hydrogen atoms by t-butoxy radicals and phenyl radicals have been studied by using a spin trapping technique. The t-butoxy radical abstracted tertiary hydrogen atoms selectively from polypropylene, polystyrene and model compounds. On the other hand, the tertiary hydrogens in polypropylene and its model compounds were less reactive towards the phenyl radical than the secondary hydrogens within the same molecule and the secondary hydrogens in polystyrene were abstracted predominantly by the phenyl radical. The conformational effects on the reactivities of various hydrogens in polypropylene and model compounds were found to be similar.     

Long-lived electron capture dissociation product ions experience radical migration via hydrogen abstraction

To explore the mechanism of electron capture dissociation (ECD) of linear peptides, a set of 16-mer peptides were synthesized with deuterium labeled on the alpha-carbon position of four glycines. The ECD spectra of these peptides showed that such peptides exhibit a preference for the radical to migrate to the alpha-carbon position on glycine via hydrogen (or deuterium) abstraction before the final cleavage and generation of the detected product ions. The data show c-type fragment ions, ions corresponding to the radical cation of the c-type fragments, c*, and they also show c*-1 peaks in the deuterated peptides only. The presence of the c*-1 peaks is best explained by radical-mediated scrambling of the deuterium atoms in the long-lived, metastable, radical intermediate complex formed by initial electron capture, followed by dissociation of the complex. These data suggest the presence of at least two mechanisms, one slow, one fast. The abundance of H* and -CO losses from the precursor ion changed upon deuterium labeling indicating the presence of a kinetic isotope effect, which suggests that the values reported here represent an underestimation of radical migration and H/D scrambling in the observed fragments.     

Enzymatic hydrogen atom abstraction from polyunsaturated fatty acids

The oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic and linoleic acid initiates a plethora of cell signaling pathways in animals and plants. The chemistry of the enzymatic oxidation has been investigated for several enzymes, most notably prostaglandin synthase and the lipoxygenases, revealing many surprises and impressive examples of enzymatic control of hydrogen atom abstraction and subsequent oxygenation.     

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding and hydrogen atom abstraction in gas-phase aliphatic amine radical cations

The intramolecular hydrogen atom abstraction by the nitrogen atom in isolated aliphatic amine radical cations is examined experimentally and with composite high-level ab initio methods of the G3 family. The magnitude of the enthalpy barriers toward H-atom transfer varies with the shape and size of the cyclic transition state and with the degree of substitution at the nitrogen and carbon atoms involved. The lower barriers are found for 1,5- and 1,6-abstraction, for chairlike transition states, for abstraction reactions in ionized primary amines, and for abstraction of H from tertiary carbon atoms. In most cases, the internal energy required for 1,4-, 1,5-, and 1,6-hydrogen atom abstraction to occur is less than that required for gas-phase fragmentation by simple cleavage of C-C bonds, which explains why H-atom transfer can be reversible and result in extensive H/D exchange prior to the fragmentation of many low-energy deuterium labeled ionized amines. The H-atom transfer to nitrogen is exothermic for primary amine radical cations and endothermic for tertiary amines. It gives rise to a variety of distonic radical cations, and these may undergo further isomerization. The heat of formation of the gauche conformers of the gamma-, delta-, and epsilon-distonic isomers is up to 25 kJ mol(-1) lower than that of the corresponding trans forms, which is taken to reflect C-H-N hydrogen bonding between the protonated amino group and the alkyl radical site.     

An intrinsic radical stability scale from the perspective of bond dissociation enthalpies: a companion to radical electrophilicities

Bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) of a large series of molecules of the type A-B, where a series of radicals A ranging from strongly electrophilic to strongly nucleophilic are coupled with a series of 8 radicals (CH2OH, CH3, NF2, H, OCH3, OH, SH, and F) also ranging from electrophilic to nucleophilic, are computed and analyzed using chemical concepts emerging from density functional theory, more specifically the electrophilicities of the individual radical fragments A and B. It is shown that, when introducing the concept of relative radical electrophilicity, an (approximately) intrinsic radical stability scale can be developed, which is in good agreement with previously proposed stability scales. For 47 radicals, the intrinsic stability was estimated from computed BDEs of their combinations with the strongly nucleophilic hydroxymethyl radical, the neutral hydrogen atom, and the strongly electrophilic fluorine atom. Finally, the introduction of an extra term containing enhanced Pauling electronegativities in the model improves the agreement between the computed BDEs and the ones estimated from the model, resulting in a mean absolute deviation of 16.4 kJ mol(-1). This final model was also tested against 82 experimental values. In this case, a mean absolute deviation of 15.3 kJ mol(-1) was found. The obtained sequences for the radical stabilities are rationalized using computed spin densities for the radical systems.     

Studies on some radical transfer reactions. Part I. Hydrogen atom abstraction from some organic substrates by ȮH radicals

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate was carried out in aqueous and nonaqueous media in the presence of some sulfonated and carboxylic organic compounds, hydroxyl radicals generated from hydrogen peroxide being used as initiators of polymerization. The occurrence of radical transfer reactions by way of hydrogen atom abstraction from the organic substrates by the ?H radicals was demonstrated by the detection of sulfonate and carboxyl endgroups in the respective polymers. It was found that the radical transfer reactions were more favored in aqueous media than in nonaqueous systems.     

*H atom and *OH radical reactions with 5-methylcytosine

The reactions between either a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl radical and 5-methylcytosine (5-MeCyt) are studied by using the hybrid kinetic energy meta-GGA functional MPW1B95. *H atom and *OH radical addition to positions C5 and C6 of 5-MeCyt, or *OH radical induced H-abstraction from the C5 methyl group, are explored. All systems are optimized in bulk solvent. The data presented show that the barriers to reaction are very low: ca. 7 kcal/mol for the *H atom additions and 1 kcal/mol for the reactions involving the *OH radical. Thermodynamically, the two C6 radical adducts and the *H-abstraction product are the most stable ones. The proton hyperfine coupling constants (HFCC), computed at the IEFPCM/MPW1B95/6-311++G(2d,2p) level, agree well with B3LYP results and available experimental and theoretical data on related thymine and cytosine radicals.     

9‐Bromoanthracene photodimers as initiators in controlled radical polymerization: Silane radical atom abstraction coupled with nitroxide mediated polymerization

Slow initiation relative to propagation has previously prevented photodimers of 9‐bromoanthracene or 9‐chloroanthracene, formed by [4 + 4] photocyclization reactions of the analogous 9‐haloanthracene, from being viable initiators in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) reactions. The resulting polymers were found to possess high polydispersity index (PDI) values, much higher than expected number average molecular weight (M_n) values, with the reaction displaying a nonlinear relationship between monomer conversion and M_n. We report here the use of silane radical atom abstraction (SRAA) to create initiating bridgehead radicals in the presence of 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl (TEMPO) to mediate the polymerization. When using SRAA coupled with nitroxide mediated polymerization, a dramatic decrease in PDI values was observed compared with analogous ATRP reactions, with M_n values much closer to those anticipated based on monomer‐to‐initiator ratios. Analysis using UV‐Vis spectroscopy indicated only partial anthracene labeling (～ 25%) on the polymers, consistent with thermolysis of the anthracene photodimer coupled with competition between initiation from the bridgehead photodimer radical and silane‐based radical. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 6016–6022, 2008     

Quantum-chemical calculations of O-O bond strengths in organic hydrotrioxides

The O-O bond strengths in ten organic hydrotrioxides have been calculated by semiempirical MNDO and AMI methods. The RO-OOH bond strength is independent of the nature of substituent R and is equal to 20.4±1.1 kcal mol^–1 (AM1). The influence of the inductive effect of substituent R on the value ofD(ROO-OH) has been established.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1129–1131, May, 1996.