On the question of one-electron transfer in the mechanism of reduction by nadh-models

The fluorescence of 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (BNAH) is quenched by a variety of electron acceptors. The dependence of the rate constant of the quenching process on the electrochemical reduction potentials of the quenchers corresponds with that expected for quenching by an electron transfer mechanism in which BNAH acts as an electron donor with a one electron oxidation potential of 0.76 ± 0.02 V (in acetonitrile relative to the saturated calomel electrode).From this oxidation potential, and the reduction potentials of a number of substrates reported to be reduced by BNAH, the rates of thermal one-electron transfer from BNAH to these substrates were estimated via the Rehm-Weller relation for outersphere one-electron transfer. These calculated rates are many orders of magnitude lower than experimental rates reported for the overall reduction processes. This seems to exclude outersphere one-electron transfer as an intermediate step in such reductions.     

Metal ion effect on the switch of mechanism from direct oxygen transfer to metal ion-coupled electron transfer in the sulfoxidation of thioanisoles by a non-heme iron(IV)-oxo complex

The mechanism of sulfoxidation of thioaniosoles by a non-heme iron(IV)-oxo complex is switched from direct oxygen transfer to metal ion-coupled electron transfer by the presence of Sc(3+). The switch in the sulfoxidation mechanism is dependent on the one-electron oxidation potentials of thioanisoles. The rate of sulfoxidation is accelerated as much as 10(2)-fold by the addition of Sc(3+).     

Reversibility of electrode reactions involving organic compounds

A general empirical approach allowing one to describe the kinetics and evaluate the mechanism of the electrode electron transfer reactions is offered. The approach is based on the electrode potentials, the vertical ionization potentials (oxidation), and the affinity to electron (reduction). An equation linking kinetic and thermodynamic parameters is derived. Electrode reactions involving organic compounds are discussed in polarographic terms. The conclusion is drawn that most electron transfer reactions involving organic compounds are reversible, and that the irreversibility of the net electrode reaction is due to the irreversibility of subsequent chemical and electrochemical stages. An experimental observation of the slow electron transfer is possible in the cases of a substantial reorganization of molecules in the presence of fast subsequent chemical and electrochemical reactions.     

Electron-transfer oxidation properties of DNA bases and DNA oligomers

Kinetics for the thermal and photoinduced electron-transfer oxidation of a series of DNA bases with various oxidants having the known one-electron reduction potentials (E(red)) in an aqueous solution at 298 K were examined, and the resulting electron-transfer rate constants (k(et)) were evaluated in light of the free energy relationship of electron transfer to determine the one-electron oxidation potentials (E(ox)) of DNA bases and the intrinsic barrier of the electron transfer. Although the E(ox) value of GMP at pH 7 is the lowest (1.07 V vs SCE) among the four DNA bases, the highest E(ox) value (CMP) is only 0.19 V higher than that of GMP. The selective oxidation of GMP in the thermal electron-transfer oxidation of GMP results from a significant decrease in the pH dependent oxidation potential due to the deprotonation of GMP*+. The one-electron reduced species of the photosensitizer produced by photoinduced electron transfer are observed as the transient absorption spectra when the free energy change of electron transfer is negative. The rate constants of electron-transfer oxidation of the guanine moieties in DNA oligomers with Fe(bpy)3(3+) and Ru(bpy)3(3+) were also determined using DNA oligomers containing different guanine (G) sequences from 1 to 10 G. The rate constants of electron-transfer oxidation of the guanine moieties in single- and double-stranded DNA oligomers with Fe(bpy)3(2+) and Ru(bpy)3(3+) are dependent on the number of sequential guanine molecules as well as on pH.     

Mutual effect of the N-amino group and the heteroring in N-aminobenzazoles

The basicity constants, NH acidities, and anode oxidation potentials of N-amino derivatives of a number of heteroaromatic systems, viz., indole, benzimidazole, indazole, and 1,3-dimethylxanthine, were measured for the first time. The results obtained provide evidence for the inductive character of the interaction of the N-amino group and the benzazole ring vis-á-vis the almost complete absence of interaction between them; the heteroring has a very strong electron-acceptor effect on the properties of the amino group, while the amino group changes the properties of the heteroring to only a small extent.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 221–227, February, 1989.     

Competitive consecutive electron transfer in determination of ionization potentials: ketene derivatives

Kinetics of competitive consecutive electron transfer was used to determine ionization potentials of transient species. Kinetics of two-stage electron transfer reactions in aprotic solvent was studied using 355 nm laser flash photolysis. The concentrations of transients produced by the laser flash photolysis were monitored by their light absorption. Triplet-excited tetrachloro-p-benzo-quinone (p-chloranil) generated by a 355 nm laser flash oxidized diethyl ketene, diphenyl ketene, or phenyl ethyl ketene to form radical cations. The ketene radical cations, in turn, oxidized tertiary amine, forming ground state ketene and ammonium radical cation. The kinetics of the disappearance of ketene radical cations (and/or appearance of ammonium radical cations) due to consecutive, competitive electron transfer to ketene and p-chloranil radical cations was monitored. By monitoring kinetics in the presence of tertiary amines with different oxidation potentials, it was established that in acetonitrile the oxidation potential of diethyl ketene was 5.4 eV; for phenyl ethyl ketene, it was approximately 4.8 eV; and for diphenyl ketene, it was 4.6 eV. The results were in agreement with the oxidation potentials of ketenes computed using published data.     

Effect of structure in benzaldehyde oximes on the formation of aldehydes and nitriles under photoinduced electron-transfer conditions

The mechanistic aspects of the photosensitized reactions of a series of benzaldehyde oximes (1a-o) were studied by steady-state (product studies) and laser flash photolysis methods. Nanosecond laser flash photolysis studies have shown that the reaction of the oxime with triplet chloranil (3CA) proceeds via an electron-transfer mechanism provided the free energy for electron transfer (DeltaG(ET)) is favorable; typically, the oxidation potential of the oxime should be below 2.0 V. Substituted benzaldehyde oximes with oxidation potentials greater than 2.0 V quench 3CA at rates that are independent of the substituent and the oxidation potential. The most likely mechanism under these conditions is a hydrogen atom transfer mechanism as this reaction should be dependent on the O-H bond strength only, which is virtually the same for all oximes. Product studies have shown that aldoximes react to give both the corresponding aldehyde and the nitrile. The important intermediate in the aldehyde pathway is the iminoxyl radical, which is formed via an electron transfer-proton transfer (ET-PT) sequence (for oximes with low oxidation potentials) or via a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) pathway (for oximes with larger oxidation potentials). The nitriles are proposed to result from intermediate iminoyl radicals, which can be formed via direct hydrogen atom abstraction or via an electron-transfer-proton-transfer sequence. The experimental data seems to support the direct hydrogen atom abstraction as evidenced by the break in linearity in the plot of the quenching rates against the oxidation potential, which suggests a change in mechanism. The nitrile product is favored when electron-accepting substituents are present on the benzene ring of the benzaldehyde oximes or when the hydroxyl hydrogen atom is unavailable for abstraction. The latter is the case in pyridine-2-carboxaldoxime (2), where a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond is formed. Other molecules that form weaker intramolecular hydrogen bonds such as 2-furaldehyde oxime (3) and thiophene-2-carboxaldoxime (4) tend to yield increasing amounts of aldehyde.     

Charge transfer complexes of fullerene C60 with N,N-dimethylaniline derivatives

Charge transfer complexes of a series of p-substituted dimethylanilines with C₆₀ fullerenes were studied by electron absorption spectroscopy. Energies of charge transfer bonds depend on three effects of substituents in the donor molecule (the inductive, resonance, and polarization effects) with domineering of the resonance effect. The energies are linearly proportional to the potentials of electrochemical oxidation of aniline derivatives.     

Imidazole facilitates electron transfer from organic reductants

In cyclic voltammetry studies at pH 8, imidazole facilitates oxidation of organic compounds that normally lose hydrogen atoms. High concentrations of imidazole shift the oxidizing wave of ascorbic acid, 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,4-hydroquinone, and the vitamin E analogue Trolox toward lower potentials. By contrast, imidazole has no effect on the cyclic voltammogram of methyl viologen, which undergoes electron rather than hydrogen-atom transfer. The effect of imidazole is observed at pH 8.0 but only to a lesser extent at pH 5.5 indicating that imidazole must be unprotonated to facilitate oxidation. Digital simulation shows that these results are consistent with a mechanism in which imidazole acts as a proton acceptor permitting concerted proton/electron transfer by the organic reductant.     

Proton coupled electron transfer and redox active tyrosines in Photosystem II

In this article, progress in understanding proton coupled electron transfer (PCET) in Photosystem II is reviewed. Changes in acidity/basicity may accompany oxidation/reduction reactions in biological catalysis. Alterations in the proton transfer pathway can then be used to alter the rates of the electron transfer reactions. Studies of the bioenergetic complexes have played a central role in advancing our understanding of PCET. Because oxidation of the tyrosine results in deprotonation of the phenolic oxygen, redox active tyrosines are involved in PCET reactions in several enzymes. This review focuses on PCET involving the redox active tyrosines in Photosystem II. Photosystem II catalyzes the light-driven oxidation of water and reduction of plastoquinone. Photosystem II provides a paradigm for the study of redox active tyrosines, because this photosynthetic reaction center contains two tyrosines with different roles in catalysis. The tyrosines, YZ and YD, exhibit differences in kinetics and midpoint potentials, and these differences may be due to noncovalent interactions with the protein environment. Here, studies of YD and YZ and relevant model compounds are described.     

Redox potentials of chlorophylls and beta-carotene in the antenna complexes of photosystem II

Electron transfer (ET) processes in reaction centers (RC) of photosystem II (PSII) are prerequisites of oxygen generation. They are promoted by energy transfer from antenna to RC. Here, we calculated the redox potentials of chlorophylla/beta-carotene (Chla/Car) in PSII CP43/CP47 antenna complexes, solving the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann (LPB) equation based on the PSII crystal structure. The majority of antenna Chla redox potentials for reduction/oxidation were lower than those of RC Chla. Hence, ET events with excess electrons remain localized in the RC. Simultaneously antenna Chla can serve as an efficient cation sink to rereduce RC Chla if normal PSII function is inhibited. Especially three antenna Chla (Chl-47, Chl-18, and Chl-12) and two Car bridging the space between Chl(Z(D1)) and cytochrome (cyt) b559 have the same level of oxidation redox potential. Together with Chl(Z(D2)) they form an electron hole transfer pathway and temporary storage device guiding from the oxidized P680(+.) Chla to the cyt b559. This path may play a photoprotective role as efficient electron hole quencher.     

Charge separation in mesoporous aluminosilicates

EPR spectroscopy has been used to investigate spontaneous and/or photo-induced electron transfer between adsorbed organic molecules and the mesoporous aluminosilicate MCM-41 host. Spontaneous electron transfer occurs from the host to electron acceptor molecules with sufficiently favourable reduction potentials (TCNE, TCNQ, 1,4-benzoquinone, 1,4-naphthaquinone and 1,4-anthraquinone), provided the MCM-41 contains aluminium and the radical anion yield correlates with the aluminium content of the host. The semiquinone radical anions are interacting strongly with exposed Al³⁺ sites, whereas the TCNE and TCNQ radical anions are loosely bound and can be washed from the host. Radical cation formation is observed when electron donor molecules with favourable oxidation potentials are adsorbed in MCM-41 containing aluminium, and the radical cations formed interact with exposed Al³⁺ sites. This work shows that aluminium-containing MCM-41 contains both electron donating and electron accepting sites which may intervene in intra-molecular charge separation processes in adsorbed organic molecules.     

Calculating standard reduction potentials of [4Fe–4S] proteins

The oxidation–reduction potentials of electron transfer proteins determine the driving forces for their electron transfer reactions. Although the type of redox site determines the intrinsic energy required to add or remove an electron, the electrostatic interaction energy between the redox site and its surrounding environment can greatly shift the redox potentials. Here, a method for calculating the reduction potential versus the standard hydrogen electrode, E°, of a metalloprotein using a combination of density functional theory and continuum electrostatics is presented. This work focuses on the methodology for the continuum electrostatics calculations, including various factors that may affect the accuracy. The calculations are demonstrated using crystal structures of six homologous HiPIPs, which give E° that are in excellent agreement with experimental results. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

靛蓝胭脂红波薄层光谱电化学研究(I)

采用SnO_2石英玻璃组装的光透薄层电解池, 结合紫外可见光谱现场监测技术, 研究了靛蓝胭脂红水溶液的电化学还原与氧化过程. 测定了不同pH下的式电极电位(E~0)和电子转移数(n). 实验结果表明, 靛蓝胭脂红在SnO_2电极上的还原为准可逆的两电子转移过程, 而它的氧化则为不可逆电极过程. 由电解现场检测的光谱, 初步探讨了电解还原与氧化的反应机理。     

Thermodynamics of electron transfer processes in liquid and gas phases: Part II. Correlations of electro-oxidation and ionization potentials with substituent constants for some N,N-dimethylaniline derivatives

The electron transfer processes in the oxidation reactions of a series of N,N-dimethyl-4-substituted anilines in liquid and gaseous phases were studied. By means of a linear regression analysis, half-wave oxidation potentials in acetonitrile. ionization potentials in the gaseous phase, substituent constants and ionization constants of conjugated acids in water or water-alcohol mixtures are related. A thermodynamic cycle allows the calculation of the solvation energies of both radical cations and parent free bases.     

On the kinetics and energetics of one-electron oxidation of 1,3,5-triazines

One-electron oxidation of 1,3,5-triazines is observed with both excited uranyl ion (*UO2(2+)) and sulfate radical anion (SO4.-) in aqueous solution, but not with Tl2+, indicating that the standard reduction potentials E degree of 1,3,5-triazine radical cations are = 2.3 +/- 0.1 V vs. NHE, consistent with theoretical calculations; this suggests that if triazines inhibit electron transfer during photosynthesis, they would need to act on the reductive part of the electron transport chain.     

Reactivity of biologically important reduced pyridines. VIII. A semiempirical (AM1) study of the oxidation of 3-substituted-1-methyl-1,4-dihydropyridines

Significant linear correlations were observed between AM1-derived adiabatic, but not vertical, ionization potentials and the log of ferricyanide-mediated oxidation of 3-substituted-1-methyl-1,4-dihydropyridines. This result is consistent with a rate-determining electron loss in the reaction sequence and suggests molecular relaxation subsequent to the initial electron transfer. In addition, useful relationships were generated between oxidation rate and absolute electronegativity, a parameter derived from hard-soft acid-base theory.     

Oxidation of ascorbate and ascorbic acid at the aqueous|organic solution interface

An electron transfer reaction between ascorbate in an aqueous solution and oxidizing agents in an organic solution immiscible with water has been studied for the first time by polarography for charge transfer at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions. A reversible electron transfer polarogram at the aqueous|organic solution interface could be observed when teterachlorobenzoquinone, dibromobenzoquinone and Meldola's Blue were used as oxidizing agents in the organic solution. The oxidation reaction of ascorbate at the aqueous|organic interface was discussed comparing with the reactions at the ordinary electrodes and in homogeneous solutions. The half-wave potentials of electron transfer polarograms at the aqueous|nitrobenzene interface were applied to evaluate the formal redox potential of ascorbate/ascorbate free radical.     

Driving force dependence of intermolecular electron-transfer reactions of fullerenes

Pulse-radiolytic studies were performed to determine the rate constants of intermolecular electron transfer (k(et)) from fullerenes (C(60), C(76), and C(78)) to a series of arene radical cations in dichloromethane. The one-electron oxidation potentials of the employed arenes-corresponding to the one-electron reduction potentials of arene pi-radical cations-were determined in dichloromethane to evaluate the driving forces of electron-transfer oxidation of fullerenes with arene pi-radical cations. The driving force dependence of log k(et) shows a pronounced decrease towards the highly exothermic region, representing the first definitive confirmation of the existence of the Marcus inverted region in a truly intermolecular electron transfer. Electron-transfer reduction of fullerenes with anthracene radical anion was also examined by laser flash photolysis in benzonitrile. The anthracene radical anion was produced by photoinduced electron transfer from 10,10'-dimethyl-9,9',10,10'-tetrahydro-9,9'-biacridine [(AcrH)(2)] to the singlet excited state of anthracene in benzonitrile. The rate constants of electron transfer (k(et)) from anthracene radical anion to C(60), C(70), and a C(60) derivative were determined from the decay of anthracene radical anion in the presence of various concentrations of the fullerene. Importantly, a significant decrease in the k(et) value was observed at large driving forces (1.50 eV) as compared to the diffusion-limited value seen at smaller driving forces (0.96 eV). In conclusion, our study presents clear evidence for the Marcus inverted region in both the electron-transfer reduction and oxidation of fullerenes.     

甲酸在铂电极上吸附氧化机理研究

用时间分辨石英晶体微天平（Ｔｉｍｅ－ｒｅｓｏｌｖｅｄ ＥＱＣＭ）、循环伏安法及电化学阶跃技术,研究了铂电极上甲酸的吸附氧化过程。结果表明,在活性吸附氧化过程中,甲酸吸附后迅速失去一个电子形成ＣＯＯＨａｄ单分子层,在阶跃电势计时电流图上得到一个氧化电流峰及ＥＱＣＭ图上一个相应的质量增加,随后的ＣＯＯＨａｄ氧化是一个速率较慢的过程,当它的吸附达到稳成以后,甲酸氧化反应在计时电流图上表现为稳态小电流及相