Electrochemical behaviour of natural and biosynthetic polynucleotides at the mercury electrode: VII. Studies on the adsorption and reduction of DNA and biosynthetic polynucleotides with a new potentiostatic double step-sweep method

By a new potentiostatic double step-sweep method conveniently applicable with common commercial polarographic equipment the adsorption and interfacial behaviour of DNA of different origin and of related biosynthetic polynucleotides has been studied in moderately acid solution (pH 5.6) of different ionic strengths over the whole extended potential range of adsorption up to ?1.6 V (SCE) at the HMDE. Furthermore the new method has proved to be an efficient tool to follow the kinetics of the reduction of strongly adsorbed substances to as well strongly adsorbed reduction products.Three potential ranges corresponding to different interfacial situations can be distinguished for the investigated polynucleotides. In the first range between ?0.4 and ? 1.2 V (SCE) the biopolymer is adsorbed. If the biopolymer has initially a double stranded form progressive irreversible deconformation occurs as well in this potential range furnishing further evidence for the previously developed concept of the sequence of interfacial events. In the second range between ?1.2 and ?1.6 V biopolymers are adsorbed and (in the double stranded case after prior deconformation) the adenine and cytosine moieties undergo a totally irreversible reduction forming according to the nature of the polynucleotide a more or less completely blocking film of strongly adsorbed reduced biopolymer. In the third range beyond ?1.6 V no adsorption and thus reduction occurs.The kinetic parameters k_ct and α_cn_a of the rate determining step of the charge transfer reaction in which the adsorbed biopolymer is reduced have been studied as function of the nature and structure of the polynucleotide, of its base composition and of ionic strengthIn general the measurements improve significantly the understanding of the complicated behaviour of DNA and related biosynthetic polynucleotides at charged interfaces and confirm in various ways our previous resulis and conclusions.     

Cyclic voltammetric studies of a thionine coated pyrolytic graphite electrode

Cyclic voltammetry has been used to study the spontaneous adsorption and oxidative coating of thionine onto basal plane pyrolytic graphite electodes. Spontaneous adsorption leads to a monolayer of flat lying molecules together with some weakly attached upper layers. Oxidation of an adsorbed thionine monolayer results in several products which appear to include polymeric species and the sulphoxide of thionine. Similar products are obtained by an oxidative coating procedure.     

Electrochemical oxidation of barbituric acids at low pH in the presence of chloride ion

Barbituric acid, 1-methylbarbituric acid and 1,3-dimethylbarbituric acid are electrochemically oxidized at the pyrolytic graphite electrode by way of a single voltammetric peak at pH 1 in the presence of chloride ion. At least four products are formed as a result of the reaction, the three major products, accounting for more than 80–90% of the oxidized barbituric acid, are the appropriately N-methylated 5,5′-dichlorohydurilic acids, 5,5-dichlorobarbituric acids and alloxans. The mechanism appears to proceed by an initial potential-controlling 1e/1H⁺ oxidation of the barbituric acids to give a barbituric acid radical. This can dimerize to hydurilic acid, which is then further electrochemically oxidized. However, this appears to be a minor route. The barbituric acid radical appears to be mainly further electrooxidized (1e) to a carbonium ion which further reacts with nucleophiles such as chloride ion to give 5-chlorobarbituric acid, or with water to give dialuric acid. Further electrochemical oxidation and chemical reactions of the latter species results in formation of the ultimate products.     

Electrochemical formation and clevage of bis-imidazolyls

Bis-(2,4,5-triphenylimidazolyls) result from the dimerization of 2,4,5-triphenylimidazolyls and from the nucleophilic attack of 2,4,5-triphenylimidazole anions upon 2,4,5-triphenylimidazolylium cations. The isomeric bis-imidazolyls consist of imidazole and isoimidazole systems. Imidazoles undergo only anodic oxidation, isoimidazoles only cathodic reduction. Therefore the bis-imidazolyls may be analyzed from their electrochemical behaviour. Bis-(2,4,5-triphenylimidazolyl)-1,2′ and bis-(2,4,5-triphenylimidazolyl)-1,4′ undergo reductive bond cleavage in an ē.c?.ē. mechanism from which 2,4,5-triphenyl-imidazole anions result. The electrochemical properties of one of the bis-imidazolyls agree with that of 1,4,5-triphenyl-2-(2,4,5-triphenylisoimidazolyl-4)-imidazole and not with that of bis-(2,4,5-triphenylimidazolyl)-2,4′ as reported in literature.     

Adsorption of naphthalene on bismuth electrode from ethanol

Adsorption of naphthalene on a polarized bismuth electrode was studied from the ethanolic solutions of LiClO₄ by means of differential capacity measurements. Two regions of adsorption of naphthalene (13.2 and ?1.3 μC cm^?2) corresponding to different orientations of naphthalene molecules at the electrode surface were discovered. A sharp capacity maximum at far positive charges indicates that formation of a polymolecular adsorption layer consisting of the adsorbed naphthalene molecules in flat orientation occurs. By use of the Gibbs equation and of double layer theory the surface excess of naphthalene, adsorption energy, potential drop across the inner layer and some other adsorption parameters have been calculated for a wide range of charges. The π-oribital interaction energy of naphthalene with the bismuth surface has been estimated for various charges. A comparison of the adsorption behaviour of naphthalene in ethanolic and aqueous solutions was made.     

Electrochemical oxidation of N-methylated derivatives of uric acid

The electrochemical oxidation of a number of N-methylated uric acids has been studied by linear and cyclic sweep voltammetry, coulometry and thin-layer spectroelectrochemistry. The observed results support the view that the electrooxidation is a 2e reaction to give a very unstable diimine primary product. This is rapidly hydrated to give an imine-alcohol which is further hydrated to give a uric acid-4,5-diol derivative which subsequently fragments to the various products.     

William B. Guenther,Chemical Equilibrium. A Practical Introduction for the Physical and Life Sciences,Plenum Press,New York-London (1975), 248 pp., price U.S. $ 23.40

The adsorption and related interfacial behavior of uracil at a mercury electrode/electrolyte solution interface has been studied by differential capacitance and maximum bubble pressure methods in 0.5 M NaF plus 0.01 M Na₂HPO₄ buffer pH 8.0. At concentrations below 24 mM uracil is adsorbed in a flat orientation on the electrode surface and occupies an area of 63 Ų. At higher concentrations and at potentials close to ?0.5 V the adsorbed uracil undergoes a reorientation and adopts a perpendicular stance on the electrode surface where it occupies an area of 39 Ų. In this perpendicular stance uracil undergoes a strong intermolecular stacking interaction with its neighbors similar to that observed between adjacent pyrimidines in nucleic acids.     

485—Spectroelectrochemical evidence for imine-alcohol intermediate formed upon electrochemical oxidation of uric acid

Electrochemical oxidation of uric acid in phosphate-containing supporting electrolytes between pH 3–9 at a reticulated vitreous carbon electrode in a thin-layer spectroelectrochemical cell leads to formation of U.V.-absorbing intermediate species. Electrochemical reduction of the intermediate-containing solution leads to the partial regeneration of uric acid. This behavior provides compelling evidence that an imine-alcohol is one of the U.V.-absorbing intermediate species since only this compound may be expected to be reduced to a species which can regenerate uric acid.     

Electrochemical oxidation of 9-methylxanthine

The electrochemical oxidation of 9-methylxanthine proceeds via four voltammetric oxidation peaks at the pyrolytic graphite electrode. The first voltammetric oxidation peak (peak I_a) is a 1e reaction giving a radical which dimerizes to 8,8′-bi-9-methyl-9H-purine-2,6-(1H, 3H)-dione. Peak II_a is a further 2e electrooxidation of the peak I_a dimer to another yellow dimer 8,8′-bi-9-methyl-9H-purine-2,6-(1H)-dione-3,5-(3H)-diiminylidene. This dimer is not very stable and it hydrolyzes to 1-methyl allantoin. Peak III_a is an adsorption pre-peak to peak IV_a which corresponds, overall, to a direct 4e?4H⁺ electrooxidation of 9-methylxanthine to an unstable diimine of 9-methyluric acid. Hydrolysis of this diimine leads to a variety of ultimate products.     

Determination of platinum in urine by differential pulse polarography

A method has been developed for determination of platinum in urine, after administration of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II). The diethyldithiocarbamate complex of the platinum(II) is formed and extracted into chloroform, then mineralized with aqua regia. After removal of nitric acid the platinum is complexed with ethylenediamine. This chelate yields a catalytic current at a dropping mercury electrode, which is measurable by differential pulse polarography. The detection limit is ~10 ng ml . The calibration graph is linear over the range 20-800 ng ml .     

Electrochemical and peroxidase-catalyzed redox chemistry of 9-Methyl uric acid

The electrochemical and peroxidase/H₂O₂ oxidation of 9-methyl uric acid has been studied over a wide pH range. Electrochemical, spectral, kinetic and analytical results support the view that the electrochemical and enzymic oxidations proceed by virtually identical mechanisms.     

Voltammetric oxidation of pharmaceutical organic compounds at a new modified electrode: The aluminum graphite spray-covered electrode

A new graphite spray-modified aluminum electrode has been used to determine clozapine, clothiapine, and loxapine in acetate buffer at pH 4.7 and 20% methanol, down to 5 × 10⁻⁶ M concentrations using differential pulse voltammetry. Reproducibility exceeds that of other solid electrodes, being in the range of 1 to 2%. The electrochemical oxidation products of the latter two compounds are strongly adsorbed, causing diminished electrode response, but response is readily restored by polishing of the sprayed electrode.     

The important role of surface area in the electrochemical behaviour of RuO2 electrodes

5-Alkyl substituted barbituric acids are electrochemically oxidized at the pyrolytic graphite electrode by way of a single, major, 1e voltammetric oxidation peak to form a barbiturate radical. This dimerizes to give the corresponding 5,5′-substituted hydurilic acid. Under conditions of controlled potential electrolysis the reaction proceeds in very high yield and the hydurilic acid derivative may be readily separated and purified.     

Electrochemical reduction of oxygen at a porous flow-through electrode

The electrochemical reduction of oxygen at a porous flow-through electrode is described with emphasis on the effects of concentration, flow speed and surface area. On a packed bed copper electrode in sulfuric acid, it was found that oxygen undergoes a two electron reduction process giving rise to H₂O₂.     

Optimalization of doubletone polarography

Through the application of coherent fundamental frequencies, the synchronization of measuring frequency and dropping frequency, which facilitate the use of phase sensitive techniques, doubletone polarography could be developed into a highly sensitive polarographic method with a high resolution in common with all derivative methods.     

Application of convolution procedures to chronopotentiometry

Convolution procedures are used to extract the faradaic information from chronopotentiometric data, in conditions where significant distortion by double layer charging occurs. The faradaic component of the imposed current is obtained, after measurement of the double layer capacitance, by differentiation of the initial chronopotentiogram. Convolution of this current with the function (πt)^?1/2 leads to a potential-convoluted current relationship freed from the effect of double layer charging. The kinetic characterization of the system using a combined analysis of this relationship and that relating the faradaic current to the electrode potential is discussed for the various types of reaction mechanism. The efficiency of the proposed procedure is tested on the galvanostatic reduction of fluorenone in DMF.