EPR investigation of persistent radicals produced from the photolysis of dibenzyl ketones adsorbed on ZSM-5 zeolites

Photolysis of ketones (1, 1-oMe, 2, 2-oMe, 3, and 4) adsorbed on ZSM-5 zeolites produces persistent carbon-centered radicals that can be readily observed by conventional steady-state EPR spectroscopy. The radicals are persistent for time periods of seconds to many hours depending on the supramolecular structure of the initial radical@zeolite complex and the diffusion and reaction dynamics of radicals produced by photolysis. The structures of the persistent radicals responsible for the observed EPR spectra are determined by a combination of alternate methods of generation of the same radical, by deuterium substitution, and by spectral simulation. A clear requirement for persistence is that the radicals produced by photolysis must either separate and diffuse from the external to the internal surface or be generated within the internal surface and separate and diffuse apart. The persistence of radicals located on the internal surface is the result of inhibition of radical-radical reactions. Radicals that are produced on the external surface and whose molecular structure prevents diffusion into the internal surface are transient because radical-radical reactions occur rapidly on the external surface. The reactions of the persistent radicals with oxygen and nitric oxide were directly studied in situ by EPR analysis. In the case of reaction with oxygen, persistent peroxy radicals are formed in high yield. The addition of nitric oxide scavenges persistent radicals and leads initially to a diamagnetic nitroso compound, which is transformed into a persistent nitroxide radical by further photolysis. The influence of variation of radical structure on transience/persistence is discussed and correlated with supramolecular structure and reactivity of the radicals and their parent ketones.     

Studies on poly(vinyl chloride). III. The role of the precipitated polymer in the kinetics of polymerization of vinyl chloride

In polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer, free radicals precipitate on or within aggregates of partially swollen dead polymer. Polymerization on the solid polymer is characterized by autoaccelerating rates due to a progressive reduction in termination rate. This reduction in termination rate is due to the fact that as the reaction progresses and more polymer accumulates there is a decrease in probability that chain transfer of polymer radicals to monomer will generate a mobile radical, which can readily terminate an occluded or stuck free radical. From the appearance of the particles of solid polymer in the system, it has been concluded that free radicals precipitate both on polymer particle surface and inside the open structure of polymer particles.     

MNDO calculation of reaction heats determininig the mechanism of antioxidant action of the phenols in polyolefins

The quantum chemical substantiation of antioxidant action of the substituted phenols in polyolefins is presented. The electronic structure of the phenols, phenoxy radicals, and model products of polyolefin destruction was calculated by the MNDO method. On the basis of the presumed chemical reactions, the electronic structure criteria determining the antioxidant activity are selected. These are the O—H bond dissociation energy in phenols and the charge on the atoms of π-system in phenoxy radicals. The competition between these reactions takes place, and the calculation of the reaction heats shows that the reactions with the formation of the substituted quinones are in preference to the reactions in which the peroxycyclo-hexadienones are formed.     

Mechanism of action of sensors for reactive oxygen species based on fluorescein-phenol coupling: the case of 2-[6-(4'-hydroxy)phenoxy-3H-xanthen-3-on-9-yl]benzoic acid

We demonstrate the ability of a sensor containing a tethered fluorescein-phenol structure to react with peroxyl radicals and with an oxidizing agent such as potassium ferricyanide. This latter reaction yields the corresponding peroxyl radical as observed by EPR analysis. We propose that the reaction of the sensor with peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals is also initiated by the formation of the phenoxyl radicals, which is followed by radical-radical reactions and product hydrolysis responsible for the release of fluorescein. The proposed mechanism is based on results obtained by laser flash photolysis, HPLC and EPR studies of the reaction of peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals with 4-phenoxylphenol, a molecule used to mimic the behavior of the sensor.     

Computation, Properties and Resonance Topology of Benzenoid Monoradicals and Polyradicals and the Eigenvectors Belonging to Their Zero Eigenvalues

Radical benzenoid structures, i.e., those which cannot have all electrons paired, are known to possess much larger structure counts than closed-shell benzenoids of similar size. Building on our previous work, we report methods for calculating eigenvectors, eigenvalues, and structure counts for benzenoid radicals, diradicals, and radicals of higher multiplicity. When a series of such species is constructed by repeated addition of an aufbau unit, structure counts can usually be expressed as a polynomial in one or two variables. Structure counts for radical series generated by repeated circumscribing, however, cannot.     

Flash photolysis and antioxidant activity

The photo-chemical behaviour of a number of mono- and polyfunctional commercial phenolic antioxidants has been examined using kinetic micro-second flash photolysis. The technique provides useful information on the relationship between antioxidant structure and the efficiency of phenoxy radical production. The kinetics of decay of the phenoxy radicals are also found to be dependent on structure. Mono-functional antioxidants give phenoxy radicals which decay by a second-order process whereas polyfunctional antioxidants give phenoxy radicals that decay by a first-order process. In the former case dimerisation to give bisphenolic coupling products is observed whereas, with the latter, this process is sterically inhibited. The value of flash photolysis as a probe for studying antioxidant activity is discussed.     

Radiation-induced solid-state polymerization of methacrylic acid. I. Crystalline transition of the monomer

The anomalous crystalline transition of methacrylic acid found by broad-line NMR measurements was studied in connection with the build-up and decay of trapped radicals. The build-up of radicals is smaller and the decay rate of the trapped radicals is faster in the low-temperature range (phase II), which gave the narrower maximum slope distance ΔH_msl of the NMR spectrum, than those in the higher temperature range (phase I), which gave the broader ΔH_msl. From these experiments it was concluded that in phase I the crystals have a more closely packed structure, resulting in a more rigid matrix for the trapped radicals than those in phase II. This interpretation is consistent with the temperature dependence of the ESR spectrum of the trapped propagating radicals previously reported. The existence of the crystalline transition was also confirmed by DSC measurements, and the effects of the crystallization conditions on the transition were investigated and were discussed with reference to the results of broad line NMR measurements.     

Configurations of the free radicals in irradiated polypropylene and the relation of their decay reactions to the molecular motion

Free radicals produced in irradiated polypropylene were studied by the electron spin resonance method. Two temperature regions in which the free radicals decay rapidly were found at around 170°K. and 260°K. The first temperature region corresponds to the γ-dispersion of polypropylene and the second to the β-dispersion. Steric configurations of the free radicals were investigated, and it was concluded that the free radicals trapped in polymer, conformation of which is appreciably twisted from the stable 3₁-helical structure, decay with small-scale motion of the matrix polymer. The decay of free radicals trapped in polymer of less twisted conformation is associated with the large-scale motion of the matrix polymer. Activation energies of decay were found to be 11 kcal./mole at the lower temperature and 48 kcal./mole at the higher temperature. Time constants of the decay reactions were compared with those for molecular motion of the matrix, with results reflecting the relations of the decay of the polymer radicals to molecular motion in the matrix.     

Kinetics of the interaction of ketyl and semiquinone radicals with dioxygen. Concerted electron and proton transfer involving ketyl and semiquinone radicals

Kinetics of the interaction of ketyl and neutral semiquinone radicals with dioxygen was studied by the flash photolysis technique. The reactivity of neutral semiquinone radicals in the transfer of a hydrogen atom to O₂ is lower than that of ketyl radicals and increases as the reduction ability of the radicals increases, which give evidence for the charge transfer from the radicals to O₂ in the transition state of the reaction. The deuterium kinetic isotope effect of the reaction (up to 2.6) suggests considerable weakening of the O−H bond of the seminquinone radical in the transition state. A cyclic structure of the transition state similar to that in the reactions of ketyl radicals with hydrogen atom acceptors is proposed. In aprotic volvents, solvation has essentially no effect on the reactivity of neutral anthrasemiquinone radicals up to solvent nucleophilicityB≈240. In solvents with higher nucleophilicity and in protic solvents, their reactivity drops sharply. Hydrogen atom transfer reactions involving ketyl and neutral semiquinone radicals are shown to involve concerted electron and proton transfers, and to have transition states in which the partial transfer of an electron and a proton from the ketyl or semiquinone radical to an acceptor occurs. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1131–1137, June, 1997.     

A first-principles study on the interaction between alkyl radicals and graphene

The interaction between alkyl radicals and graphene was studied by means of dispersion-corrected density functional theory. The results indicate that isolated alkyl radicals are not likely to be attached onto perfect graphene. It was found that the covalent binding energies are low, and because of the large entropic contribution, ΔG(298)° is positive for methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and tert-butyl radicals. Although the alkylation may proceed by moderate heating, the desorption barriers are low. For the removal of the methyl and tert-butyl radicals covalently bonded to graphene, 15.3 and 2.4?kcal mol(-1) are needed, respectively. When alkyl radicals are agglomerated, the binding energies are increased. For the addition in the ortho position and on opposite sides of the sheet, the graphene-CH(3) binding energy is increased by 20?kcal mol(-1), whereas for the para addition on the same side of the sheet, the increment is 9.4?kcal mol(-1). In both cases, the agglomeration turns the ΔG(298)°<0. For the ethyl radical, the ortho addition on opposite sides of the sheet has a negative ΔG(298)°, whereas for isopropyl and tert-butyl radicals the reactions are endergonic. The attachment of the four alkyl radicals under consideration onto the zigzag edges is exergonic. The noncovalent adsorption energies computed for ethyl, isopropyl, and tert-butyl radicals are significantly larger than the graphene-alkyl-radical covalent binding energies. Thus, physisorption is favored over chemisorption. As for the ΔG(298)° for the adsorption of isolated alkyl radicals, only the tert-butyl radical is likely to be exergonic. For the phenalenyl radical we were not able to locate a local minimum for the chemisorbed structure since it moves to the physisorbed structure. An important conclusion of this work is that the consideration of entropic effects is essential to investigate the interaction between graphene and free radicals.     

Determining the geometry and magnetic parameters of fluorinated radicals by simulation of powder ESR spectra and DFT calculations: the case of the radical RCF2CF2* in nafion perfluorinated ionomers

The ESR spectrum of the chain-end radical RCF2CF2* detected in Nafion perfluorinated membranes exposed to the photo-Fenton reagent was accurately simulated by an automatic fitting procedure, using as input the hyperfine coupling tensors of the two F alpha and two F beta nuclei as well as the corresponding directions of the principal values from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. An accurate fit was obtained only for different orientations of the hyperfine coupling tensors for the two F alpha nuclei, indicating a nonplanar structure about the C alpha radical center. The fitted isotropic hyperfine splittings for the two F beta nuclei in the Nafion radical, 24.9 and 27.5 G, are significantly larger than those for the chain-end radical in Teflon (15 G), implying different radical conformations in the two systems. The excellent fit indicated that the geometry and electronic structure of free radicals can be obtained not only from single-crystal ESR spectroscopy, but also, in certain cases, from powder spectra, by combination with data from DFT calculations. The optimized structures obtained by DFT calculations for the CF3CF2CF2CF2* or CF3OCF2CF2* radicals as models provided additional support for the pyramidal structure determined from the spectral fit. Comparison and analysis of calculated and fitted values for the hyperfine splittings of the two F beta nuclei suggested that the radical detected by ESR in Nafion is ROCF2CF2*, which originates from attack of oxygen radicals on the Nafion side chain. The combination of spectrum fitting and DFT is considered important in terms of understanding the hyperfine splittings from 19F nuclei and the different conformations of fluorinated chain-end-type radicals RCF2CF2* in different systems, and also for elucidating the mechanism of Nafion fragmentation when exposed to oxygen radicals in fuel cell conditions.     

The effect of ring nitrogen atoms on the homolytic reactivity of phenolic compounds: understanding the radical-scavenging ability of 5-pyrimidinols

Six substituted 5-pyrimidinols were synthesized, and the thermochemistry and kinetics of their reactions with free radicals were studied and compared to those of equivalently substituted phenols. To assess their potential as hydrogen-atom donors to free radicals, we measured their O-H bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) using the radical equilibration electron paramagnetic resonance technique. This revealed that the O-H BDEs in 5-pyrimidinols are, on average, about 2.5 kcal mol(-1) higher than those in equivalently substituted phenols. The results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions, and confirm that substituent effects on the O-H BDE of 5-pyrimidinol are essentially the same as those on the Obond;H BDE in phenol. The kinetics of the reactions of these compounds with peroxyl radicals has been studied by their inhibition of the AIBN-initiated autoxidation of styrene, and with alkyl and alkoxyl radicals by competition kinetics. Despite their larger O-H BDEs, 5-pyrimidinols appear to transfer their phenolic hydrogen-atom to peroxyl radicals as quickly as equivalently substituted phenols, while their reactivity toward alkyl radicals far exceeds that of the corresponding phenols. We suggest that this rate enhancement, which is large in the case of alkyl radical reactions, small in the case of peroxyl radical reactions, and nonexistent in the case of alkoxyl radical reactions, is due to polar effects in the transition states of these atom-transfer reactions. This hypothesis is supported by additional experimental and theoretical results. Despite this higher reactivity of 5-pyrimidinols towards radicals compared to phenols, electrochemical measurements indicate that they are more stable to one-electron oxidation than equivalently substituted phenols. For example, the 5-pyrimidinol analogues of 2,4,6-trimethylphenol and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were found to have oxidation potentials approximately 400 mV higher than their phenolic counterparts, but reacted roughly one order of magnitude faster with alkyl radicals and at about the same rate with peroxyl radicals. The 5-pyrimidinol structure should, therefore, serve as a useful template for the rational design of novel air-stable radical scavengers and chain-breaking antioxidants that are more effective than phenols.     

Designing organic spin filters in the coherent tunneling regime

Spin filters, that is, systems which preferentially transport electrons of a certain spin orientation, are an important element for spintronic schemes and in chemical and biological instances of spin-selective electronic communication. We study the relation between molecular structure and spin filtering functionality employing a theoretical analysis of both model and stable organic radicals based on substituted benzene, which are bound to gold electrodes, with a combination of density functional theory and the Landauer-Imry-Büttiker approach. We compare the spatial distribution of the spin density and of the frontier central subsystem molecular orbitals, and local contributions to the transmission. Our results suggest that the delocalization of the singly occupied molecular orbital and of the spin density onto the benzene ring connected to the electrodes, is a good, although not the sole indicator of spin filtering functionality. The stable radicals under study do not effectively act as spin filters, while the model phenoxy-based radicals are effective due to their much larger spin delocalization. These conclusions may also be of interest for electron transfer experiments in electron donor-bridge-acceptor complexes.     

Localization of spin and charge in phenalenyl-based neutral radical conductors

We report the development of an experimentally based structural analysis to examine the degree of localization of the spin and charge in the phenalenyl-based neutral radical molecular conductors--the results motivate a reinterpretation of the electronic structure of a number of the radicals that we have reported over the past 10 years. The analysis is based on the well-known relationship between bond order and bond length and makes use of the experimental bond distance deviations between the molecular structure of the radical and its corresponding cation. We determined the single crystal X-ray structure of the ethyl radical (1) at 11 temperatures between 90 K and room temperature so that we could follow the evolution of the structure and the electron density distribution through the magnetic phase transition that occurs in the vicinity of 140 K. We show that the enhanced conductivity in the dimeric ethyl (1) and butyl (3) radicals at the magnetic phase transition results from the development of a complex, but highly delocalized electronic structure and not to the formation of a diamagnetic pi-dimer. We find that the monomeric radicals 4, 12, and 13 have an asymmetric electron density distribution in the crystal lattice whereas radical 11 is the only monomeric radical which remains fully delocalized. The pi-chain radicals (7, 8, 14, and 15) retain the strongly delocalized electronic structures expected for a resonating valence bond ground-state structure.     

New synthesis and insight into the structure of blue ultramarine pigments

A new and easy method for preparing blue sodalite pigments which involves high-temperature calcination of sodalite samples synthesized with aluminum sulfate and an organic template, is presented. Calcination generated the S(3)(-) and S(2)(-) radicals, and the effects of the Al/Si ratio and the calcination temperature on the nature and amounts of the radicals were examined. The radicals were characterized in detail by continuous wave and pulsed EPR at X- and W-band frequencies (approximately 9 and 95 GHz, respectively) complemented by UV-vis measurements. The high-field electron-paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements allowed us to clearly resolve the g anisotropy of S(3)(-) and W-band electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) measurements detected strong coupling with extra-framework (23)Na cations and weak coupling with framework (27)Al. On the basis of the spectroscopic results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the g-tensors of S(3)(-) and S(2)(-) radicals, the EPR signals were attributed to three different radicals, all with the open structure C(2v), that are located within the sodalite beta cages. While two of these radicals are well isolated, the third one is associated with an exchange-narrowed signal originating from S(3)(-) radicals in nearby sodalite cages.     

ESR study of the effects of water,methanol, and ethanol on gamma-irradiation of starch

This investigation deals with the nature and relative abundance of stable radicals formed by gamma-irradiation of wheat starch at room temperature. Additions of equal weights of water, methanol, and ethanol were equally effective in reducing the content of stable radicals in starch which contained about 12% water before the additions. When, however, the starting material was dried starch with 2.9% initial water content additional water and methanol were better radical scavengers than ethanol. This difference is attributed to the superior ability of water and methanol to permeate the starch structure. Superficially different ESR spectra were obtained in products made by irradiating starch and starch that contained added water or methanol. Computer simulation of these spectra showed that they could be matched by superposition of the spectra of the same four component radicals, with some adjustments of relative intensities and peak widths. The structures of these radicals have been dedueed from the spectral assignments and relative effects of the three solvents used on the intensities of the respective ESR spectra.     

Free radicals in the electrochemical reduction of certain mononitro and dinitro derivatives of pyridine

In the primary process of electrochemical reduction of substituted 3-nitropyridines in dimethylformamide, their anion radicals are formed. This also takes place in the reduction of 3,5-dinitropyridines and 3-nitropyridines with a nitrophenyl substituent at position 2 or 4. For these dinitro derivatives, however, secondary free radicals are formed as well; in a basic medium, these are the products of reduction of the corresponding Meisenheimer complexes. Serving as the reaction center for electroreduction is the nitro group on the pyridine ring, not the group on the phenyl ring. For the mononitropyridines and dinitropyridines that were studied, free radicals of the nitropyridine type are formed as the primary species. The structure of the primary and secondary free radicals was established by analysis of the hyperfine structure of their ESR spectra.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 8, pp. 1079–1087, August, 1993.     

Single-component organic semiconductors based on novel radicals that exhibit electrochemical amphotericity: preparation, crystal structures, and solid-state properties of N,N'-dicyanopyrazinonaphthoquinodiiminides substituted with an N-alkylpyridinium unit.

N,N'-Dicyanonaphthoquinodiimines fused with a pyrazine ring 1 were prepared from the corresponding quinones 4. The new acceptors 1 have a planar pi-system and undergo reversible two-stage 1e-reduction. Quaternization of the pyridyl substituent in 1d-f gave pyridinium derivatives 2d+, 2e+, and R-3+, respectively, which are stronger acceptors that undergo three-stage 1e-reduction. Upon electrochemical reduction of these cations, novel radicals 2d., 2e., and R-3. were generated and isolated as stable solids. The molecular geometries determined by X-ray analysis indicated that these radicals adopt a zwitterionic structure, in which the unpaired electron is located on the quinodiimine unit but not on the pyridyl group. These novel radicals undergo facile and reversible 1e-oxidation as well as two-stage 1e-reduction. The observed amphotericity endows the radicals with electrical conductivities (10(-5) to 10(-9) S cm-1), and these thus represent a new motif for single-component organic semiconductors.     

Computations on the A-X transition of isoprene-OH-O2 peroxy radicals

Calculations are carried out on the A state of HO2, CH3O2, and CH3CH2O2 and 10 isomers and conformers of the isoprene-OH-O2 peroxy radicals derived from OH addition to isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene). In addition to calculating vertical and adiabatic excitation energies, we consider the effect of excitation on molecular structure, and examine the OO stretching frequencies, which are known to be major features in the absorption spectra of the A states of the smaller radicals. The two methods used are the configuration interaction with single excitations (CIS) method and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), both with a range of basis sets up to 6-311++G(2df,2pd). TD-DFT overestimates excitation energies considerably, while CIS tends to underestimate them slightly. TD-DFT does seem to capture the trend in excitation energy vs. size for the smaller peroxy radicals. Conformation and configuration strongly affect the excitation energies of the peroxy radicals from isoprene. CIS calculations indicate that the intramolecular OH--O hydrogen bonds, present in the ground state of some peroxy radicals from isoprene, are weakened or broken in the excited state, while TD-DFT calculations suggest they are retained.     

Possible mediators of the "living" radical polymerization

The stable radicals derived from different compounds were detected in process of styrene autopolymerization. The nitroxide radicals are produced from nitrosocompound, hindered hydroxylamine, nitrophenols and nitroanisoles. The phenoxyl radicals are formed from quinine methides, and naphtoxyl radicals are generated from 2-nitro-1-naphtol. The radicals are identified, the kinetics of their formation and follow-up evolution are studied. These radicals can participate in process of living radical polymerization as the mediators and can effect significantly on kinetics of polymerization and structure of the resulting polymer.