Oxidation of nitroxyl radicals: electrochemical and computational studies

We have developed azaadamantane-type nitroxyl radicals (AZADOs) and azabicyclo-type nitroxyl radicals (ABNOs) as highly active alcohol oxidation catalysts. Herein, the electrochemical properties of these nitroxyl radicals were investigated by measuring their formal potentials using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The redox potentials were rationalized with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. A good correlation between the experimental redox potential and the DFT-computed energy differences (ΔE) between nitroxyl radicals and oxoammonium species was obtained, which shows the effectiveness of DFT in predicting the redox potentials of nitroxyl radicals. Redox potential appears to be an important factor of catalytic activity.     

Treatment of the Conformational Contributions in Quantum Mechanical Calculations of the Redox Potentials of Nitroxyl Radicals

Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A - The redox potentials of cyclic nitroxyl radicals have been calculated for the reaction pair R2N+=O/R2N–O• using density functional theory and...     

Theoretical study on redox potentials of organic radicals in different solvents

The BMK density functional theory method has been used to examine the redox potentials of organic radicals in different solvents (DMF, N,N-dimethylformamide; DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide; MeCN, acetonitrile). The polarizable continuum solvation model (PCM) was used to describe the solvation-free energies. The one-electron electrochemical standard potentials (E ⁰) of ca. 100 organic radicals in three solvents were calculated using a single, unified theoretical method whose reliability has been tested against almost all the available experimental data. It was found that the mean absolute deviation (MAD) between the theory and experiment was about 0.08 V. With the newly developed theoretical method in hand, more redox potentials of organic radicals in these three solvents were predicted by this single, unified method. The results showed that the redox potentials of organic radicals in different organic solvents including DMF and DMSO had good correlations with their redox potentials in MeCN.     

A comprehensive picture of the one-electron oxidation chemistry of enols, enolates and α-carbonyl radicals: oxidation potentials and characterization of radical intermediates

Oxidation potentials of 40 enols, enolates and some selected α-carbonyl radicals are presented along with their characterization by various techniques as applicable (X-ray, EPR, ENDOR, general TRIPLE, magnetic susceptibility measurements, UV-vis, fast scan cyclic voltammetry, isotope effects). The model compounds comprise representatives of stable simple enols linked to a multitude of substituents (alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, propargyl alcohols) and of stable simple enols of amides. The results allow to clarify the primary reaction pathway of enol radical cations as a rapid deprotonation and—if warranted by the redox potential and the strength of the oxidant—a follow-up oxidation of the resultant α-carbonyl radical to the α-carbonyl cation. Moreover, the experimental oxidation potentials were linearly correlated with AM1 computed ionization potentials after correction for solvation. The correlation allows a reliable prediction of oxidation potentials of radicals including α-carbonyl radicals. After computing redox potentials of relevant radicals, the possibility of one-electron transfer between enolates and flavin and the involvement of various radicals of ascorbic acid in oxidation processes were assessed.     

An investigation into the initial degradation steps of four major dye chromophores: study of their one-electron oxidation and reduction by EPR, ENDOR, cyclic voltammetry, and theoretical calculations

The degradation of dyes is frequently initiated by one-electron oxidation or reduction; however, relatively little is known about the initially formed radicals. Acid Green 25 (AG25), Crystal Violet (CVI), Methylene Blue (MB), and Acid Orange 7 (AO7), representing paradigms of four types of commercial organic dyes, were therefore investigated in terms of their redox behavior. Their redox potentials in MeCN and buffered aqueous solutions were determined by cyclic voltammetry. The structures of the one-electron reduced and oxidized dyes were established by EPR spectroscopy and by theoretical calculations on the density functional level of theory.     

Radical properties governing the hypoxia-selective cytotoxicity of antitumor 3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-dioxides

Revealing the free radical mechanism by which the anticancer drug tirapazamine (3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-dioxide) induces hypoxia-selective cytotoxicity, is seen as a way forward to develop clinically useful bioreductive drugs against chemo- and radiation-resistant hypoxic tumor cells. Our previous studies point to the formation of an active benzotriazinyl radical following the one-electron reduction of tirapazamine and its elimination of water from the initial reduction intermediate, and have suggested that this species is a cytotoxin. In this paper we have used pulse radiolysis to measure the one-electron reduction potentials of the benzotriazinyl radicals E(B*,H(+)/B) of 30 analogues of tirapazamine as well as the one-electron reduction potentials of their two-electron reduced metabolites, benzotriazine 1-oxides E(B/B*-). The redox dependencies of the back-oxidation of the one-electron reduced benzotriazine 1,4-dioxides by oxygen, their radical prototropic properties and water elimination reactions were found to be tracked in the main by the one-electron reduction potentials of the benzotriazine 1,4-dioxides E(A/A*-). Multiple regression analysis of published aerobic and hypoxic clonogenic cytotoxicity data for the SCCVII murine tumor cell line with the physical chemistry parameters measured in this study, revealed that hypoxic cytotoxicity is dependent on E(B*, H(+)/B) thus providing strong evidence that the benzotriazinyl radicals are the active cytotoxic species in hypoxia, while aerobic cytotoxicity is dependent on E(B/B*-). It is concluded that maximizing the differential ratio between these two controlling parameters, in combination with necessary pharmacological aspects, will lead to more efficacious anticancer bioreductive drugs.     

Redox potentials of trifluoromethyl-containing compounds

Trifluoromethylation reactions are important transformations in the research and development of drugs, agrochemicals and functional materials. An oxidation/reduction process of trifluoromethyl-containing compounds is thought to be involved in many recently tested catalytic trifluoromethylation reactions. To provide helpful physical chemical data for mechanistic studies on trifluoromethylation reactions, the redox potentials of a variety of trifluoromethyl-containing compounds and trifluoromethylated radicals were studied by quantum-chemical methods. First, wB97X-D was found to be a reliable method in predicting the ionization potentials, electron affinities, bond dissociation enthalpies and redox potentials of trifluoromethyl-containing compounds. One-electron absolute redox potentials of 79 trifluoromethyl substrates and 107 trifluoromethylated radicals in acetonitrile were then calculated with this method. The theoretical results were found to be helpful for interpreting experimental observations such as the relative reaction efficiency of different trifluoromethylation reagents. Finally, the bond dissociation free energies (BDFE) of various compounds were found to have a good linear relationship with the related bond dissociation enthalpies (BDE). Based on this observation, a convenient method was proposed to predict one-electron redox potentials of neutral molecules.     

Oxidation of 2-deoxyribose by benzotriazinyl radicals of antitumor 3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-dioxides

Tirapazamine (3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-dioxide) is the lead bioreductive drug in clinical trials as an anticancer agent to kill refractory hypoxic cells of solid tumors. It has long been known that, upon metabolic one-electron reduction, tirapazamine induces lethal DNA double strand breaks in hypoxic cells. These strand breaks arise from radical damage to the ribose moiety of DNA, and in this pulse radiolysis and product analysis study we examine mechanistic aspects of the dual function of tirapazamine and analogues in producing radicals of sufficient power to oxidize 2-deoxyribose to form radicals, as well as the ability of the compounds to oxidize the resulting deoxyribose radicals to generate the strand breaks. Both the rate of oxidation of 2-deoxyribose and the radical yield increase with the one-electron reduction potentials of the putative benzotriazinyl radicals formed from the benzotriazine 1,4-dioxides. Subsequent oxidation of the 2-deoxyribose radicals by the benzotriazine 1,4-dioxides and 1-oxides proceeds through adduct formation followed by breakdown to form the radical anions of both species. The yield of the radical anions increases with increasing one-electron reduction potentials of the compounds. We have previously presented evidence that oxidizing benzotriazinyl radicals are formed following one-electron reduction of the benzotriazine 1,4-dioxides. The reactions reported in this work represent the kinetic basis of a short chain reaction leading to increased oxidation of 2-deoxyribose, a process which is dependent on the one-electron reduction potential of the benzotriazinyl radicals that are above a threshold value of ca. 1.24 V.     

Mutual Effect of Functional Groups and the Radical Center on the Reactivity of Nitroxyl Radicals

This review considers the correlation between the reactivity of nitroxyl radicals (piperidine, pyrroline, pyrrolidine, imidazoline, dihydroquinoline, tetrahydroquinoline, diphenyl nitroxide, etc.) and their chemical structure in terms of the rate constants of reactions between these radicals and hydrazobenzene. 4,4′-Di(tert-butyl)diphenyl nitroxyl has the highest reactivity, and the nitroxyl radical of benzoindolopyrrolidine is the least reactive (the difference is a factor of ∼10⁴). The effects of the metal atom in stable organometallic nitroxyl radicals and of the halogen atom in halogenated nitroxyl radicals on the reactivity of the nitroxyl center are considered. Data on the effect of the nitroxyl center on the reactivity of functional groups in the piperidine nitroxyl radical are generalized. Nitroxyl radicals with an activated double bond are shown by quantum chemical calculations to form cyclic transition complexes with amines, involving both the paramagnetic center and a double bond. This explains why the activated double bond in nitroxyl radicals is more reactive in nucleophilic additions of amines than the same bond in their diamagnetic analogues. The rate constants of nitroxyl reduction with hydrazobenzene and of nitroxyl oxidation with tetranitromethane are related to the σ_ESR constant derived from isotropic hyperfine coupling constants HFC_(aN), and their correlation with Hammett constants is demonstrated. The role of solvents in the reduction and oxidation of the nitroxyl radicals is considered. The influence of hydroxyl radical-polar solvent complexes and hydroxylamine-polar solvent H complexes on the course of reactions is considered for hydrogen atom transfer in systems of a sterically hindered nitroxyl radical and hydroxylamine.__________Translated from Kinetika i Kataliz, Vol. 46, No. 4, 2005, pp. 506–528.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Malievskii, Shapiro.     

Potentiation of the cytotoxicity of the anticancer agent tirapazamine by benzotriazine N-oxides: the role of redox equilibria

Tirapazamine (3-amino-1,2,4-benzotriazine 1,4-dioxide), the lead bioreductive drug with selective toxicity for hypoxic cells in tumors, is thought to act by forming an active oxidizing radical of high one-electron reduction potential, E(1), when reduced by reductases. It has a dual mechanism of action, both generating DNA radicals, following its one-electron reduction and subsequently oxidizing these DNA radicals to form labile cations or hydrolyzable lactones through transferring an O atom, resulting in DNA strand breaks. These parallel secondary reactions have been proposed to be also initiated by its two-electron reduced metabolite, the 1-oxide. We have used pulse radiolysis to show that the benzotriazinyl radical of a highly soluble analogue of tirapazamine, the 3-(N,N-dimethyl-1,2-ethanediamine) analogue, is able to oxidize tirapazamine itself. We have found that both tirapazamine and the 1-oxides are in equilibrium with their respective benzotriazinyl radicals, with high concentrations of the more soluble 1-oxide maintaining a high concentration of the more reactive oxidizing radical of tirapazamine. The one-electron reduction potentials, E(1), of the 1-oxides and related compounds have been measured and, together with the E(1) values of tirapazamine and the 2-nitroimidazole radiosensitizer, misonidazole, are shown to predict the published percentages of electron transfer. This radical chemistry study gives an insight into the mechanisms of the potentiation of radical damage, reported for DNA, that underlies the hypoxic cytotoxicity of electron affinic compounds. The E(1) values of the benzotriazinyl radicals of the benzotriazine compounds govern the position of the redox equilibria, which determine the amount of initial radical damage. The E(1) values of the 1,4-dioxides and 1-oxide compounds govern the degree of potentiation of the initial radical damage once formed.     

Persistent hydrogen-bonded and non-hydrogen-bonded phenoxyl radicals

The production of stable phenoxyl radicals is undoubtedly a synthetic chemical challenge. Yet it is a useful way to gain information on the properties of the biological tyrosyl radicals. Recently, several persistent phenoxyl radicals have been reported, but only limited synthetic variations could be achieved. Herein, we show that the amide-o-substituted phenoxyl radical (i.e. with a salicylamide backbone) can be synthesised in a stable manner, thereby permitting easy synthetic modifications to be made through the amide bond. To study the effect of H-bonding on the properties of the phenolate/phenoxyl radical redox couple, simple H-bonded and non-H-bonded o,p-tBu-protected salicylamidate compounds have been prepared. Their redox properties were examined by cyclic voltammetry and showed a fully reversible one-electron oxidation process to the corresponding phenoxyl radical species. Remarkably, the redox potential appears to be correlated, at least partially, with H-bond strength, as relatively large differences (ca. 300 mV) in the redox potential between H-bonded and non-H-bonded phenolate salts are observed. The corresponding phenoxyl radicals produced electrochemically are persistent at room temperature for at least an hour; their UV/Vis and EPR characterisation is consistent with that of phenoxyl radicals, which makes them excellent models of biological tyrosyl radicals. The analyses of the experimental data coupled with theoretical calculations indicate that both the deviation from planarity of the amide function and intramolecular H-bonding influence the oxidation potential of the phenolate. The latter H-bonding effect appears to be predominantly exerted on the phenolate and not (or only a little) on the phenoxyl radical. Thus, in these systems the H-bonding energy involved in the phenoxyl radical appears to be relatively small.     

SAR Models for Futile Metabolism: One-Electron Reduction of Quinones,Phenols and Nitrobenzenes

Abstract

Benzoquinones, naphthoquinones and aziridinylbenzoquinones, can be reduced by flavoproteins to semiquinones that react with molecular oxygen to form superoxide anion with the subsequent regeneration of the parent compounds. This redox cycling, a form of futile metabolism, produces reactive oxygen species and depletes the reducing equivalents of cells without concomitant energy production. The ability of a toxicant to redox cycle is related to its one-electron reduction potential, and this study attempted to estimate reduction potential from structure using semi-empirical quantum chemical models for a diverse set of chemicals. The results of this study suggest that one-electron reduction potentials, within structural classes of benzoquinones, naphthoquinones, phenols and nitrobenzenes, can be estimated from local and global electronic indices that are related to delocalization. Smaller absolute charge on the carbonyl carbon in the quinone moiety correlated with more positive one-electron reduction potentials of 1,4-benzoquinones, naphthoquinones and two-electron reduction potentials of aziridinylbenzoquinones. The energy of frontier orbitals of the quinones, phenols and nitrobenzenes also co-varied with reduction potential. More positive reduction potentials of 1,4-benzoquinones, 1,4-naphthoquinones and phenols were correlated with more negative values of E_HOMO, while more negative values of E_LUMO were correlated with more positive potentials of nitrobenzenes and aziridinylbenzoquinones. Delocalization of electron density also correlated with reduction potentials within individual classes.     

Die elektrochemische oxidation aliphatischer nitroxyl-radikale

The electrochemical oxidation of seven different nitroxyl radicals has been investigated in acetonitrile at a platinum electrode. Cyclic and bicyclic nitroxyls are oxidized in a reversible one-electron-step to the corresponding oxammonium ions. From oxidation and ionization potentials the electrostatic solvation enthalpies of two oxammonium ions were calculated. The ionization potentials of the remaining compounds could be estimated. Heterogenous rate constants of the electrode reaction have been determined.     

Differential pulse polarography and electron spin resonance spectroscopy of nitroxyl free radicals used as ESR-spin probes

Differential pulse polarography (DPP) and electron spin resonance (ESR) were used to study the influence of substituents and of the pH of the medium on DPP peak potentials (electrochemical reduction) resp. kreduction (chemical reduction) of nitroxyl free radicals. The DPP peak potentials can be used to select the appropriate nitroxide spin label for relevant biochemical and biophysical applications.     

Computational design of cyclic nitroxides as efficient redox mediators for dye-sensitized solar cells

Cyclic nitroxide radicals represent promising alternatives to the iodine-based redox mediator commonly used in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). To date DSSCs with nitroxide-based redox mediators have achieved energy conversion efficiencies of just over 5?% but efficiencies of over 15?% might be achievable, given an appropriate mediator. The efficacy of the mediator depends upon two main factors: it must reversibly undergo one-electron oxidation and it must possess an oxidation potential in a range of 0.600-0.850?V (vs. a standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) in acetonitrile at 25?°C). Herein, we have examined the effect that structural modifications have on the value of the oxidation potential of cyclic nitroxides as well as the reversibility of the oxidation process. These included alterations to the N-containing skeleton (pyrrolidine, piperidine, isoindoline, azaphenalene, etc.), as well as the introduction of different substituents (alkyl-, methoxy-, amino-, carboxy-, etc.) to the ring. Standard oxidation potentials were calculated using high-level ab initio methodology that was demonstrated to be very accurate (with a mean absolute deviation from experimental values of only 16?mV). An optimal value of 1.45 for the electrostatic scaling factor for UAKS radii in acetonitrile solution was obtained. Established trends in the values of oxidation potentials were used to guide molecular design of stable nitroxides with desired E(ox)°, and a number of compounds were suggested for potential use as enhanced redox mediators in DSSCs.     

Theoretical studies on the redox potentials of Fe dinuclear complexes as models for hydrogenase

Density Functional calculations have been performed at the uB3LYP and uBP86 levels to calculate the one-electron redox potentials for a series of small models based on the diiron hydrogenase enzymes in the presence of acetonitrile (MeCN). The solvation effects in MeCN are incorporated via a self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) using the polarized continuum model (PCM). The calculated redox potentials reproduce the trends in experimental data with an average error of only 0.12 V using the BP86 functional, whereas comparing results with the B3LYP functional require a systematic shift of -0.82 and -0.53 V for oxidation and reduction, respectively. The bonding orbitals and d-electron populations were examined using Mulliken population analysis, and the results were used to rationalize the calculated and observed redox potentials. These studies demonstrate that the redox potential correlates with the empirical spectrochemical series for the ligands, as well as with the amount of electron density donated by the ligand onto the Fe centers.     

The preparation of, and electrochemical studies on, some substituted aryl dithiadiazolylium salts and dithiadiazolyl radicals

A series of aryl-substituted 1,2,3,5-dithiadiazolylium cations (I) and 1,3,2,4-dithiadiazolylium cations (II) were prepared as their hexafluoroarsenate(V) salts using standard methods. Electrochemical studies on I and II showed reversible one-electron reductions. The half-wave reduction potentials for a series of meta-substituted derivatives of both I and II exhibited a linear free energy relationship with the Hammett parameter, σ_m. The small value of the reaction constant, , for both meta and para-derivatives indicates that electronic effects are small and in the case of the ortho-derivatives of II, steric effects dominate the redox process. Reduction of the 1,2,3,5-dithiadiazolylium cations, as their chloride salts, yielded the corresponding dithiadiazolyl radicals (III).     

Simultaneous evaluation of one‐electron reducing systems and radical reactions in cells by nitroxyl biradical as probe

In the present study, a novel probe for the simultaneous evaluation of one‐electron reducing systems (electron transport chain) and one‐electron oxidizing systems (free radical reactions) in cells by electron chemical detection was developed. Six‐membered cyclic nitroxyl radicals (2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl; TEMPO series) are sensitive to one‐electron redox systems, generating the hydroxylamine form [TEMPO(H)] via one‐electron reduction, and the secondary amine form [TEMPO(N)] via one‐electron oxidation in the presence of thiols. In contrast, the sensitivities of five‐membered cyclic nitroxyl radicals (2,2,5,5‐tetramethylpyrrolidine‐1‐oxyl; PROXYL series) to the one‐electron redox systems are comparatively low. The electron chemical detector can detect 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl (TEMPO), TEMPO(H) and PROXYL but not TEMPO(N). Therefore, nitroxyl biradical, TEMPO‐PROXYL, as a probe for the evaluation of one‐electron redox systems was employed. TEMPO‐PROXYL was synthesized by the conjunction of 4‐amino‐TEMPO with 3‐carboxyl‐PROXYL via the conventional dicyclohexyl carbodiimide reaction. TEMPO‐PROXYL, TEMPO(H)‐PROXYL and TEMPO(N)‐PROXYL were simultaneously quantified by HPLC with Coularray detection. Calibration curves for the quantification of TEMPO‐PROXYL, TEMPO(H)‐PROXYL and TEMPO(N)‐PROXYL were linear in the range from 80 nm to 80 μm , and the lowest quantification limit of each molecule was estimated to be <80 nm . The relative standard deviations at 0.8 and 80 μm were within 10% (n = 5). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

1,2,5,6-Tetrakis(guanidino)-Naphthalenes: Electron Donors,Fluorescent Probes and Redox-Active Ligands

New redox-active 1,2,5,6-tetrakis(guanidino)-naphthalene compounds, isolable and storable in the neutral and deep-green dicationic redox states and oxidisable further in two one-electron steps to the tetracations, are reported. Protonation switches on blue fluorescence, with the fluorescence intensity (quantum yield) increasing with the degree of protonation. Reactions with N-halogenosuccinimides or N-halogenophthalimides led to a series of new redox-active halogeno- and succinimido-/phthalimido-substituted derivatives. These highly selective reactions are proposed to proceed via the tri- or tetracationic state as the intermediate. The derivatives are oxidised reversibly at slightly higher potentials than that of the unsubstituted compounds to dications and further to tri- and tetracations. The integration of redox-active ligands in the transition-metal complexes shifts the redox potentials to higher values and also allows reversible oxidation in two potentially separated one-electron steps.     

The reaction mechanism of xanthine oxidase: evidence for two-electron chemistry rather than sequential one-electron steps

Current research on xanthine oxidase has favored a mechanism involving base-catalyzed proton abstraction from a Mo-OH group, allowing nucleophilic attack on the substrate and hydride transfer from the substrate to Mo=S group in the active site. During the course of this reaction mechanism, the molybdenum redox cycles from MoVI to MoIV, with reoxidation of the MoIV speices to form the EPR active MoV intermediate. However, it has also been suggested that the reaction occurs in two subsequent one-electron steps. We have determined kinetic parameters kred and kred/Kd for a variety of plausible substrates as well as the one-electron reduction potentials for these substrates. Our data indicate no correlation between these kinetic parameters and their one-electron reduction potentials, as would be expected if the enzyme were using two subsequent one-electron reduction steps. Our results provide additional support to current evidence for the favored two-electron reduction mechanism.