Synthesis and characterization of ester-derivatized tetrathiatriarylmethyl radicals as intracellular oxygen probes

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy using paramagnetic probes has been employed as an important tool for the accurate determination of oxygen (O2) concentrations in biological systems. However, paramagnetic probes are still limited by their intracellular penetrability. Various esterified trityl derivatives were synthesized and characterized, and an X-ray structure of one of the triyl radicals was determined. The ester-derivatized trityls exhibited higher sensitivity to O2 concentration compared to the trityl tricarboxylate CT-03. Cyclic voltammetry was also carried out to assess the susceptibility of the trityl radicals to oxidation and reduction. Among all of the ester-derivatized trityls studied, facile hydrolysis of the acetoxymethoxy esters to the respective carboxylate was observed using porcine liver esterase. This study demonstrates that cellular permeability of the trityl radicals can be achieved by varying the type and number of ester groups. Therefore, ester-derivatized trityl radicals show great potential as intracellular EPR oximetry probes and imaging agents.     

Perforated cenosphere-supported pH-sensitive spin probes

Porous supports with an accessible internal volume and a shell providing the diffusive migration of pH-sensitive spin probes were obtained for the first time from hollow aluminosilicate cenospheres isolated from the coal fly ash. Using the methods of scanning electron microscopy and electron spin resonance, the morphology of different porous cenosphere modifications and its influence on the diffusion of spin probes from the internal volume were studied. When supporting aqueous solutions of a radical, the characteristic diffusion time for the mesoporous structure of the support is longer by a factor of 3–5 than that for the macroporous structure. Ferrospinel in a content of 6 wt.% do not virtually affect the diffusion rate of spin probes. A constant rate of radical migration of ∼1 μmol min⁻¹, determined by radical solubility in water, is achieved when a radical in the solid aggregate state is supported on the magnetic cenospheres. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 482–487, March, 2008.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of amphiphilic spin probes

New amphiphilic nitroxide spin probes have been synthesized. The key reaction is based on microwave-assisted epoxide ring opening with amines as nucleophiles using calcium trifluoromethanesulfonate as a catalyst. High yields, in short reaction times, were obtained without any detectable nitroxide decomposition.     

Amphiphilic spin probes based on disulfide-bridged bisnitroxides

We have synthesised a series of amphiphilic spin probes containing two nitroxide-functionalised lipophilic branches connected by a disulfide group. The sensitivity of EPR spectroscopy to the interactions between the radical centres in these bisnitroxides makes it possible to monitor the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction in colloidal assemblies.     

ESR spin probes in ionic liquids.

The spin probes 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPOL), and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-trimethylammoniumpiperidine-1-oxylIodide (CAT-1) are examined in a number of ionic liquids based on substituted imidazolium cations and tetrafluoroborate and hexafluorophosphate anions, respectively. The reorientation correlation times tau(R) of the spin probes in these systems have been determined by complete spectra simulation and, for rapid reortientation, by analysis of the intensities of the hyperfine lines of the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra. A comparison of the results with those from the model system glycerol/water and selected organic solvents is made. Additions of diamagnetic and paramagnetic ions allow the conclusion that salt effects and spin exchange are present, and that both are superimposed by motional effects. Specific interactions in the ionic liquids, as well as between the spin-probe molecules and the constituents of the ionic liquids are reflected in the spectra of the spin probes, depending on their molecular structure.     

A new series of lipophilic pH-sensitive spin probes

A series of new lipophilic spin probes with pH-dependent ESR spectra was synthesized: cyano-substituted enamino ketones, viz., derivatives of imidazolidine nitroxyl radicals. The use of these compounds makes it possible to measure the acidity of the medium in the pH 6—12 range.     

New spin labels and probes for biological studies

Conclusions A series of new and highly stable iminoxyl mono- and biradicals was obtained.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1327–1329, June, 1973.     

ESR investigation of starch gelatinization using novel spin probes

The spin probes 1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindolin-2-yloxyl (TMIO) and the sodium salt of its sulfonate, 1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindolin-2-yloxyl-5-sulfonate (NaTMIOS) were used to monitor the microviscosity changes of water during starch gelatinization. In cereal starch, which contains mainly A-type polymorphs, evidence was found for the amylopectin and amylose regions, the latter undergoing a transition at about 55 degrees C and a large increase in the microviscosity on cooling. Pea starch contains both A-and B-type polymorphs and this was also found to have two domains and the 55 degrees C transition was observed for the amylose phase: the less mobile amylopectin showed a reversible decrease in water microviscosity on heating.     

Dynamic nuclear polarization studies on deuterated nitroxyl spin probes

Detailed dynamic nuclear polarization and electron spin resonance studies were carried out for 3‐carbamoyl‐2,2,5,5‐tetramethyl‐pyrrolidine‐1‐oxyl, 3‐carboxy‐2,2,5,5‐tetramethyl‐pyrrolidine‐1‐oxyl,3‐methoxycarbonyl‐2,2,5,5‐tetramethy pyrolidine‐1‐oxyl nitroxyl radicals and their corresponding deuterated nitroxyl radicals, used in Overhauser‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for the first time. The dynamic nuclear polarization parameters such as dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) factor, longitudinal relaxivity, saturation parameter, leakage factor and coupling factor were estimated for deuterated nitroxyl radicals. DNP enhancement increases with agent concentration up to 3 mm and decreases above 3 mm . The proton spin–lattice relaxation time and the longitudinal relaxivity parameters were estimated. The leakage factor increases with increasing agent concentration up to 3 mm and reaches plateau in the region 3–5 mm . The coupling parameter shows the interaction between the electron and nuclear spins to be mainly dipolar in origin. DNP spectrum exhibits that the full width at half maximum values are higher for undeuterated nitroxyl radicals compared with deuterated nitroxyl radicals, which leads to the increase in DNP enhancement. The ESR parameters such as, the line width, line shape, signal intensity ratio, rotational correlation time, hyperfine coupling constant and g‐factor were calculated. The narrow line width was observed for deuterated nitroxyl radicals compared with undeuterated nitroxyl radicals, which leads to the higher saturation parameter value and DNP enhancement. The novelty of the work permits clear understanding of the DNP parameters determining the higher DNP enhancement compared with the undeuterated nitroxyl radicals. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of new spin probes based on aminoaryl-substituted imidazoline nitroxides

A series of new spin probes, azides and isothiocyanates, were synthesized starting from aminoaryl-substituted nitroxides which are derivatives of 3-imidazoline and 3-imidazoline-3-oxide. The new compounds were transformed to complexones, derivatives of iminodiacetic acid.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 465–468, March, 1994.     

Mobility of anionic spin probes in water-containing nylon 6 film

The rotational mobility of anionic spin probes in water-containing nylon 6 film was investigated by means of electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements for comparison with the results for nonionic spin probes reported previously. The extrema separation of the ESR spectra, 2Az′ increased with time owing to the evaporation of water. In the higher temperature region, 2Az′ increased steeply with time at first, and then more slowly, whereas for the nonionic spin probes, 2Az′ increased gradually and monotonically with time. This fact suggests that the anionic probe molecules are more strongly affected by water than the nonionic ones, i.e., the former probes are located in hydrophilic regions and the latter in hydrophobic regions. T_50G, which can be empirically correlated with the glass transition temperature of the polymer T_g decreased with increasing water content. The decreasing tendency for the anionic spin probes was stronger than that for the nonionic ones. This fact also indicates that the local environment around the probe molecules varies from probe to probe. The rotational correlation time τ_R decreased markedly with an increase in water content. The Arrhenius plots of τ_R showed two crossover points. The crossover points in the higher temperature region T_n decreased greatly with increasing water content. The difference in T_n between dried and water-containing films was larger than that for T_50G. The activation energy for rotation, E, also decreased with increasing water content. It is suggested that water concentrates around the anionic spin probes and makes their rotation much easier.     

Characterization of the motion of spin probes and spin labels in amorphous polymers with two-dimensional field-step ELDOR

The motion of nitroxide spin probes and spin labels in amorphous polymers is studied below the glass transition temperature with a two-dimensional pulsed electron double-resonance experiment. Polystyrene and a liquid crystalline side group polymer are studied using both spin probes and spin labels covalently bound to specific sites along the polymer chain. Two methyl acrylic polymers differing only in their side group structure and polyvinylacetate are compared and large differences in the molecular dynamics deduced from both the nuclear and the electron spin relaxation rates are observed as the glass transition is approached. The results demonstrate the complexity of small amplitude motion in simple polymers below the glass transition temperature and show that it is very sensitive to the packing in the polymer. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Self-diffusion and electron spin exchange of hydrophobic probes in dilute solution

Electron spin exchange rate constants have been measured by ESR spectroscopy for a nitroxide spin probe in a number of solvents, including water. The apparent collision rate constants (k _c ^′ ) calculated from the spin exchange rate constants showed marked deviations from the Smoluchowsky equation (k _c ^′ η=const), which were greatest in solvents of lowest viscosity. These effects are attributed to inefficiency of the spin exchange process. Self-diffusion coefficients (D) were measured for diamagnetic analogs of the nitroxide spin probe in similar solvent systems by pulsed field gradient NMR spectroscopy. TheD values gave reasonable agreement when corrected for viscosity (Dη=const). Collision rate constants calculated fromD were in good agreement with those measured by ESR in solvents of high viscosity. Thek _c ^′ value for the spin probe in water was significantly lower than that in isoviscous organic solvents. This effect is discussed in terms of a hydrophobic hydration shell for the spin probe which acts as an additional barrier to collision.     

Theory for spin-lattice relaxation of spin probes on weakly deformable DNA

The weakly bending rod (WBR) model of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is adapted to analyze the internal dynamics of dsDNA as observed in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation rate, R(1e), for spin probes rigidly attached to nucleic acid-bases. The WBR theory developed in this work models dsDNA base-pairs as diffusing rigid cylindrical discs connected by bending and twisting springs whose elastic force constants are kappa and alpha, respectively. Angular correlation functions for both rotational displacement and velocity are developed in detail so as to compute values for R(1e) due to four relaxation mechanisms: the chemical shift anisotropy (CSA), the electron-nuclear dipolar (END), the spin rotation (SR), and the generalized spin diffusion (GSD) relaxation processes. Measured spin-lattice relaxation rates in dsDNA under 50 bp in length are much faster than those calculated for the same DNAs modeled as rigid rods. The simplest way to account for this difference is by allowing for internal flexibility in models of DNA. Because of this discrepancy, we derive expressions for the spectral densities due to CSA, END, and SR mechanisms directly from a weakly bending rod model for DNA. Special emphasis in this development is given to the SR mechanism because of the lack of such detail in previous treatments. The theory developed in this paper provides a framework for computing relaxation rates from the WBR model to compare with magnetic resonance relaxation data and to ascertain the twisting and bending force constants that characterize DNA.     

Saturation studies of spin probes dissolved in a glass-forming isotropic liquid

Saturation studies of nitroxides in glass-forming dibutyl phthalate were performed to verify that increased spin—lattice relaxation time (T₁) is responsible for intensity reduction as temperature is lowered. Correspondence between onsets of saturation and intensity decrease, matches to T₁ versus temperature and between the observed and calculated intensities all verify the assertion.     

ESR molecular dynamics study at the oxidation sites of polypropylene with nitroxyl spin labels and spin probes

Novel methods suitable for the selective insertion of nitroxyl spin labels and spin probes at the oxidation sites of isotactic polypropylene have been developed based on reactions with the oxidation products, on spin trapping with nitroso and nitrone compounds and taking advantage of the spontaneous generation of nitroxyl radicals as intermediates in the stabilization mechanism by the HALS. The analysis of the esr spectra of the doxyl spin label and of the spin probes from the HALS, performed according to the stochastic Liouville theory, has allowed information to be obtained on the molecular mobility at the oxidation sites as a function of the temperature.     

Reactivity of molecular oxygen with ethoxycarbonyl derivatives of tetrathiatriarylmethyl radicals

Tetrathiatriarylmethyl (TAM) radicals are commonly used as oximetry probes for electron paramagnetic resonance imaging applications. In this study, the electronic properties and the thermodynamic preferences for O2 addition to various TAM-type triarylmethyl (trityl) radicals were theoretically investigated. The radicals' stability in the presence of O2 and biological milieu was also experimentally assessed using EPR spectroscopy. Results show that H substitution on the aromatic ring affects the trityl radical's stability (tricarboxylate salt 1-CO2Na > triester 1-CO2Et > diester 2-CO2Et > monoester 3-CO2Et) and may lead to substitution reactions in cellular systems. We propose that this degradation process involves an arylperoxyl radical that can further decompose to alcohol or quinone products. This study demonstrates how computational chemistry can be used as a tool to rationalize radical stability in the redox environment of biological systems and aid in the future design of more biostable trityl radicals.     

Effect of pressure on the rotational mobility of spin probes in polymers

The effects of pressure on the rotational mobility of three nitroxyl radicals (spin probes) in natural rubber, polyethylene, and butadiene-nitrile rubber SRN-26 have been studied. The activation volumes, activation energies, and pre-exponential factors of spin probe rotation at constant pressure and volume have been determined. The activation volumes of probe rotation (20–70 cm³/mol) increase with increasing size of radicals and differ insignificantly from the activation volumes of the β-relaxation process. In the polar polymer SRN-26, the activation volumes of rotation of radicals are appreciably more than in the nonpolar polymers, natural rubber and polyethylene. These features are apparently due to different volumes of the kinetic chain segment controlling probe rotation. The activation volumes of radical rotation around different molecular axes differ significantly. The activation energy of probe rotation at constant volume is appreciably less than at constant pressure. It has also been shown that the energy necessary for the formation of a fluctuation hole is the main factor that determines temperature dependence of the rotational mobility of low-molecular particles in the polymer.