Time-resolved detection of melanin free radicals quenching reactive oxygen species

Melanin, a ubiquitous, heterogeneous biological polymer composed of many different monomers, contains a population of stationary, intrinsic semiquinone-like radicals. Additional extrinsic semiquinone-like radicals are reversibly photogenerated with visible or UV irradiation. The free radical chemistry of melanin is complex and not well characterized, especially the photochemistry of melanin in the presence of oxygen. To determine directly how melanin reacts in the presence of oxygen, time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy was used to examine melanin free radical chemistry in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. A TREPR difference spectrum was used to explore the nature of melanin chemistry in the presence of oxygen. The position and symmetrical line shape of the TREPR three-dimensional difference spectrum shows that when reactive oxygen species (ROS) are scavenged, only one of the two or more chemically different melanin free radical species participates in ROS scavenging. This protective melanin radical species exists in both the extrinsic and intrinsic populations of melanin free radicals, allowing melanin to protect the RPE from toxic species in both the light and dark.     

Theories in polymer science - helpful or inhibiting?

Theories in polymer science play an important role in how experiments are designed and results interpreted. Three areas of polymer chemistry are focussed on: step growth polymerization, particularly predictions of equal reactivity of functional groups; free radical chain polymerization with emphasis on structural irregularities and the consequences of these structures for previous theories; free radical copolymerization and the many models at present under discussion aimed at providing a theoretical basis for predicting the outcome of such copolymerization. The question of whether or not we as polymer chemists have been helped or hindered by theory is addressed.     

Mechanically Initiated Bulk‐Scale Free‐Radical Polymerization

Mechanical initiation of polymerization offers the chance to generate polymers in new environments using an energy source with unique capabilities. Recently, a renewed interest in mechanically controlled polymerization has yielded many techniques for controlled radical polymerization by ultrasound. However, other types of polymerizations induced by mechanical activation are rare, especially for generating high‐molecular‐weight polymers. Herein is an example of using piezoelectric ZnO nanoparticles to generate free‐radical species that initiate chain‐growth polymerization and polymer crosslinking. The fast generation of high amounts of reactive radicals enable the formation of polymer/gel by ultrasound activation. This chemistry can be used to harness mechanical energy for constructive purposes in polymeric materials and for controlled polymerizations for bulk‐scale reactions.     

Supramolecular free radicals: near-infrared organic materials with enhanced photothermal conversion

A novel kind of supramolecular free radical with significantly improved free radical yield and enhanced near-infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion has been fabricated. Perylene diimide (PDI) can undergo chemical reduction to generate PDI radical anions. Cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), a bulky hydrophilic head, was utilized to encapsulate the two end groups of the PDI derivative via host–guest interactions, thus hindering its aggregation and suppressing the dimerization and quenching of PDI radical anions in aqueous solution. Due to the increased concentration of radical anions and their absorption above 800 nm, the efficiency of NIR photothermal conversion was significantly improved. Compared with free radicals fabricated by covalent chemistry, the supramolecular free radicals established here could provide a facile approach for the promoted formation of aromatic free radicals, thus opening up a new strategy for the design of NIR photothermal materials with enhanced photothermal conversion.     

肉桂酸类抗氧化剂结构—活性关系研究

利用邻菲罗啉化学发光法研究了中草药有效成分氯原酸、连翘酯甙等肉桂酸类抗氧化剂对HO·的清除作用。量子化学计算[3-21G、B3LYP/6-31G(d)]对实验结果给予了合理的解释。 计算结果显示抗氧化剂形成半醌式自由基前后的能量之差(ΔE)能较好地衡量其活性的高低;抗氧化剂半醌式自由基与邻位取代基形成分子内氢键或通过共振形成邻苯醌可使内能降低,半醌式自由基更稳定;脱氢酚羟基的对位含有给电子取代基团时,可使半醌式自由基易形成并提高其稳定性。     

Determination of antioxidant activities of berries and resveratrol

Abstract

There has been growing interest in the health benefits of fruits with the emphasis on antioxidants. Berries contain considerable amounts of chemicals referred to as phenolic compounds which have been identified as an important source of antioxidants. The determination of antioxidant capabilities of various berries and resveratrol by reducing 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) essay was designed as an experiment for general, analytical, and introductory biochemistry laboratories. The reduced DPPH radical is colorimetrically analyzed by UV-Vis spectrophotometry to determine the IC₅₀, which is the concentration of an antioxidant at which 50% inhibition of free radical activity is observed. This experiment acquaints students with free radicals and their scavengers, solution preparation, the extraction of a natural product, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Unlike so many undergraduate laboratory experiments, the procedure does not utilize any toxic reagents. Students gain an understanding of the overlap among the different fields of chemistry and the concept of green chemistry.     

A thin alanine-polyethylene film dosimetry system with diffuse reflection spectrophotometric evaluation

Characteristics of a new alanine dosimeter in the shape of a thin film, with the measurement of optical absorption of the CH₃CHCOO^– radical is described. That type of dosimeter, ALA/DRS (for diffuse reflection spectrophotometry) is compared, to an alanine dosimeter with EPR evaluation (ALA/EPR for short). In many respects the simple ALA/DRS version, as the alanine-polyethylene composite is superior. The paper shows the importance of the new experimental approach to free radical research in solid state radiation chemistry.     

Combination of transition metal carbonyls and silanes: New photoinitiating systems

The recently developed silyl radical chemistry is used in combination with transition metal carbonyls MC (dimanganese(0) decacarbonyl; dirhenium decacarbonyl; cyclopentadienyl iron(II) dicarbonyl dimer) for both free radical promoted cationic photopolymerization (FRPCP) and free radical photopolymerization (FRP). The newly developed photoinitiating systems (MC/silane and MC/silane/iodonium salt) are highly efficient under air. Photopolymerization profiles obtained upon a visible light irradiation delivered by a xenon lamp show that high conversion can be easily achieved after a 400 s exposure. Sunlight irradiations under air can also lead to tack free coatings. The processes associated with the metal carbonyl radical/silane interactions are investigated by Laser Flash Photolysis (LFP) and ESR‐Spin Trapping (ESR‐ST) experiments. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1830–1837, 2010     

INFLUENCE OF COMBINED AC-DC MAGNETIC FIELDS ON FREE RADICALS IN ORGANIZED and BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS. DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL and APPLICATION OF THE RADICAL PAIR MECHANISM TO RADICALS IN MICELLES

Abstract— The effect of an alternating current (AC) magnetic field (MF) on radical behavior is identical to that exerted by a direct current (DC) field of the same instantaneous strength provided that the frequency is low enough in comparison with radical pair dynamics. This criterion is easily met by environmental fields. In general, combined AC/DC fields will lead to increased radical concentrations and oscillating free radical concentrations. Interestingly, the frequency of oscillation for radical concentration seldom follows exactly the pattern of the external AC component of the MF. Even the simple case of an AC-only field at 60 Hz can lead to oscillations in radical concentrations at 120 Hz. The concentration time dependence patterns can be even more complex when the singlet and triplet levels of the radical pair are not degenerate. Further, the effects can change dramatically depending upon the absolute and relative values of the AC and DC components, thus providing a possible explanation for MF windows for certain effects reported experimentally. Effects on the average radical concentration are probably relevant only for fields higher than about 0.1 gauss. Oscillating radical concentrations may influence signal transduction processes or other cellular mechanisms; at the present time there is not enough knowledge available to establish a reasonable threshold for these types of effects. This contribution aims at providing a solid foundation to guide the experimentalist in the design of meaningful experiments on the possible role of MF perturbations of radical chemistry on biological response.     

Free Radical Synthetic Protocol for Benzothiazoles via Ring Opening of Benzotriazole: A Two‐step Organic Chemistry Experiment for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

The utility and advantages of benzotriazole methodology have been described for the practical synthesis of benzothiazoles. The two‐step synthetic procedure includes nucleophilic acyl substitution followed by benzotriazole ring cleavage under the free radical condition and subsequent cyclization via elimination of molecular nitrogen (N₂). This protocol requires cheap and readily available reagents, and moreover easy to handle, thus can be used to teach undergraduate and postgraduate students about the importance of benzotriazole moiety in organic synthesis, ring cleavage chemistry, cyclization reactions, and use of industrial waste in free radical reactions. Students can also learn some important and common techniques useful in organic chemistry such as monitoring of organic reaction using thin‐layer chromatography and UV, microwave (MW) technique for the synthesis, and column chromatography for the product isolation and structure determination through NMR, MS, and IR spectral analysis of the pure compounds.     

Radical Formation in the Gas‐Phase Ozonolysis of Deprotonated Cysteine

Although the deleterious effects of ozone on the human respiratory system are well‐known, many of the precise chemical mechanisms that both cause damage and afford protection in the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid are poorly understood. As a key first step to elucidating the intrinsic reactivity of ozone with proteins, its reactions with deprotonated cysteine [Cys?H]^? are examined in the gas phase. Reaction proceeds at near the collision limit to give a rich set of products including 1) sequential oxygen atom abstraction reactions to yield cysteine sulfenate, sulfinate and sulfonate anions, and significantly 2) sulfenate radical anions formed by ejection of a hydroperoxy radical. The free‐radical pathway occurs only when both thiol and carboxylate moieties are available, implicating electron‐transfer as a key step in this reaction. This novel and facile reaction is also observed in small cys‐containing peptides indicating a possible role for this chemistry in protein ozonolysis.     

The synthesis and cationic photopolymerization of monomers based on dicyclopentadiene

Several new epoxide monomers based on dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) were prepared using straightforward reaction chemistry. Those monomer-bearing groups in addition to the epoxy moiety, which can stabilize free radicals, display a pronounced acceleration of the rate of cationic ring-opening polymerization in the presence of diaryliodonium salt photoinitiators. Mechanistic studies conducted with the aid of model compounds have shown that the apparent rate acceleration is due to the free radical chain-induced decomposition of the photoinitiator. One of the chain carriers in this reaction involves a monomer-derived free radical. Also prepared was dicyclopentadiene monomer (V) bearing polymerizable epoxide and 1-propenyl ether groups in the same molecule. The functional groups in V appear to undergo independent vinyl and epoxide ring-opening polymerization. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3427–3440, 1999     

Controlling Radical Formation in the Photoactive Yellow Protein Chromophore

To understand how photoactive proteins function, it is necessary to understand the photoresponse of the chromophore. Photoactive yellow protein (PYP) is a prototypical signaling protein. Blue light triggers trans–cis isomerization of the chromophore covalently bound within PYP as the first step in a photocycle that results in the host bacterium moving away from potentially harmful light. At higher energies, photoabsorption has the potential to create radicals and free electrons; however, this process is largely unexplored. Here, we use photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations to show that the molecular structure and conformation of the isolated PYP chromophore can be exploited to control the competition between trans–cis isomerization and radical formation. We also find evidence to suggest that one of the roles of the protein is to impede radical formation in PYP by preventing torsional motion in the electronic ground state of the chromophore.     

Estimation of Free Radical Polymerization Rate Coefficients Using Computational Chemistry

This study explores the application of computational chemistry to estimate free radical polymerization rate coefficients. The Evans-Polanyi relationship is combined with computed heats of polymerization to estimate copolymerization reactivity ratios for many vinyl monomer pairs, focusing on acrylates, methacrylates and styrene, with accuracy assessed by comparison to experimental values. The effect of different optimization approaches on the values of thermodynamic properties is explored, and it is concluded that a combination of conventional optimization and relaxed potential energy scans was most effective at identifying global minima. The difference between thermodynamic properties calculated using the harmonic oscillator treatment and a hindered rotor model is evaluated for methyl methacrylate polymerization.     

Cobalt π-cations in carbocyclic ring constructions

In a combination of cobalt-mediated cationic and free radical chemistry, treatment of the allyl silane substituted β-hydroxycobaloxime 13 with pTSA led predominantly to the trans-disubstituted cyclopentane 14, which on irradiation with TEMPO produced 15. In a similar manner, the cobaloxime 18 was cyclised to 19 in the presence of pTSA which, on irradiation with a sunlamp then underwent radical mediated cyclisation to the substituted indane 20.     

Synthesis of 10-membered and larger rings via free radical methods

The purpose of this review is to discuss 1) how free radical chemistry has contributed to development of new methodologies for the construction of 10-membered and larger macrocycles over the past 32 years; 2) the most well-developed free radical methods for constructing 10-membered and larger rings; and 3) how these methodologies have contributed to solving certain key steps in the synthesis of natural products.     

Studies on Free Radical EPR,Superoxide Dismutase Water-soluble Lipidperoxide in Tears

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Organic and polymer chemistry of electrophilic tri‐ and tetrasubstituted ethylenes

A survey of the spontaneous reactions of electrophilic olefins and nucleophilic olefins is presented as an area in which organic chemistry merges with polymer chemistry. The products include both small molecules and polymers, arising via tetramethylene biradical zwitterions that can cyclize or initiate polymerizations. Electrophilic tri‐ and tetrasubstituted olefins are particularly useful in delineating the transition from radical chemistry to ionic chemistry. A periodic table embodying these results enables predictions. Charge‐transfer complexes, although observed in many of these reactions, play no significant role. Various aspects arising from these investigations include new cationic initiators, Lewis acid catalysis, quinodimethane chemistry, and photochemistry. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2845–2858, 2004     

Synergistic Photoredox Catalysis and Organocatalysis for Inverse Hydroboration of Imines

The first catalytic inverse hydroboration of imines with N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) boranes has been realized by means of cooperative organocatalysis and photocatalysis. This catalytic combination provides a promising platform for promoting NHC‐boryl radical chemistry under sustainable and radical‐initiator‐free conditions. The highly important functional‐group compatibility and possible application in late‐stage hydroborations represent an important step forward to an enhanced α‐amino organoboron library.