Hydrogen bonding association in the electroreduced intermediates of benzoquinones and naphthoquinones

Keeping in view the importance of chemical and biological functions of quinone based couples; two different series of quinones, namely benzoquinones and naphthoquinones, are investigated electrochemically. Five compounds of each series are studied systematically in dichloromethane, acetonitrile, and propylene carbonate and from there the half-wave potentials of first and second reductions are obtained through cyclicoltammetry measurements. Four different alcohols are used with increasing concentrations as hydrogen bond donors on the basis of their increasing acidity. The hydrogen-bonding power is analyzed from the positive shifts in both the waves with increasing concentrations of alcohols. The quantitative comparison is made while calculating the thermodynamic association constants and number of alcohol molecules bonded to both anion and dianion of quinones. The qualitative behavior and quantitative data both indicate the quinone-alcohol interaction as hydrogen bonding and the strength of hydrogen bond is dependant upon the nature of species involved in this couple. From the cyclic voltammetric data the relative effects of hydroxylic additives and different substituted quinones on equilibrium constant are also observed. Solvent effect is rationalized in favor of hydrogen bonding in terms of solvent polarity parameters. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 7, pp. 851–860. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Effect of solvent-water mixtures on the prototropic equilibria of fluorescein and on the spectral properties of the monoanion

A spectral resolution procedure was used to resolve the absorption, excitation and emission spectra of the fluorescein monoanion in a number of solvent-water mixtures. This permitted an analysis of the effect of the solvent environment on the spectral properties of the monoanion and on the lactone/monoanion/dianion transitions of fluorescein. The monoanion excitation and emission spectra show relatively small changes with changing environment, a behavior that is related to the hydrogen-bonding environment of the solvent-water mixtures. There is also a general increase in the quantum yield of the monoanion from 0.36 in water to values up to 0.49 in the solvent-water mixtures. The presence of solvent also results in a general increase in the lactone content and in the monoanion:dianion and lactone:monoanion ratios. General polarity effects alone cannot account for the observed effects on the prototropic transitions indicating that specific solute-solvent effects involving hydrogen bonding perturb the prototropic equilibria of fluorescein.     

Voltammetric Behavior of 1,4‐Dimethoxypillar[m]arene[n]quinones

The electrochemical properties of a series of 1,4‐dimethoxypillar[m]arene[n]quinones (DMP[m]A[n]Qs) and the interactions between individual quinone units have been investigated on glassy carbon electrode in acetonitrile. All the quinone units showed relative electron uptake behavior except 1,4‐dimethoxypillar[5]quinones (DMP[5]Q). The results have shown that the electrochemical behavior of the DMP[m]A[n]Qs is comparatively different from that of their related linear quinone analogues. The resultant properties were attributed to the close proximity of redox‐active sites as well as the delocalization of electrons on the aromatic rings. Another aspect to be considered responsible for their electronic properties was suggested to be the electrostatic repulsions between adjacent quinone units in these complex structures. Current studies provide a better understanding on the voltammetric behavior of pillararene derivatives with different numbers of quinone units as well as their future scope in certain future electrochemical applications.     

Synthesis of new type benzo[b]thiophene fused quinones and their tetracyanoquinodimethane derivatives

A series of new type of benzo[b]thiophene-fused 1,4-benzoquinones and their tetracyanoquinodimethane derivatives were synthesized. The cyclic voltammetric data of new type quinones and tetracyanoquinodimethane derivatives displayed different behavior. All new quinones exhibit two reduction waves corresponding to the radical anion and dianion. On the other hand, most tetracyanoquinodimethane derivatives display a singlewave reduction to the dianion. The benzo[b]thiophene moiety fused tetracyanoquinodimethane derivatives reveal more negative reduction potentials than that of tetracyanoquinodimethane.     

In situ time-resolved FTIR spectroelectrochemistry: study of the reduction of TCNQ

The efficiency and versatility of time-resolved FTIR spectroscopy has been used to follow concentration profiles of species produced during a cyclic voltammetric scan. It has been tested in situ and in resolved time, by probing the reduction of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) on its first and second electrochemical wave. Besides the establishment of the method, the individual concentrations of TCNQ, of the monoanion and of the dianion were monitored at distinct infrared frequencies and the time derivatives of the concentration profiles were compared to the voltammograms.     

Preparation and electrochemical properties of palladium(0) complexes coordinated by quinones and 1,5-cyclooctadiene

The complexes Pd(quinone)(COD) (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) are prepared by a ligand substitution reaction of Pd₂(DBA)₃ (DBA = dibenzylideneacetone) in the presence of both quinone and COD. Palladium(0) complexes coordinated by quinones only are formed in the reaction in the absence of COD. The cyclic voltammetric behavior of Pd(quinone)(COD) has been studied. The reduction potentials for quinones shifted toward negative values on coordination to palladium(0). The oxidation potentials for the central palladium(0) in Pd(quinone)(COD) depend on the electron-withdrawing ability of the free quinones, and are in the following series: quinone = p-benzoquinone < 5,8-dihydro-1,4-naphthoquinone ～ 1,4-naphthoquinone < duroquinone. The shift of oxidation potentials for Pd(quinone)(COD) on changing the quinones as ligands is in contrast to that of Pd(quinone)(triphenylphosphine)₂.     

Electrochemically controlled hydrogen bonding. o-Quinones as simple redox-dependent receptors for arylureas

9,10-Phenanthrenequinone and acenaphthenequinone are shown to act as simple redox-dependent receptors toward aromatic ureas in CH(2)Cl(2) and DMF. Reduction of the o-quinones to their radical anions greatly increases the strength of hydrogen bonding between the quinone carbonyl oxygens and the urea N-hydrogens. This is detected by large positive shifts in the redox potential of the quinones with no change in electrochemical reversibility upon addition of urea guests. Cyclic voltammetric studies with a variety of possible guests show that the effect is quite selective. Only guests with two strong hydrogen donors, such as O-H bonds or amide N-H bonds, that are capable of simultaneously interacting with both carbonyl oxygens give large shifts in the redox potential of the quinones. The electronic character and conformational preference of the guest are also shown to significantly affect the magnitude of the observed potential shift. In the presence of strong proton donors the electrochemistry of the quinone becomes irreversible indicating that proton transfer has taken place. Experiments with compounds of different acidity show that the pK(a) of the protonated quinone radical is about 15 on the DMSO scale, >4 pK(a) units smaller than that of 1,3-diphenylurea. This is further proof that hydrogen bonding and not proton transfer is responsible for the large potential shifts observed with this and similar guests.     

A computational study of unique properties of pillar[n]quinones: self-assembly to tubular structures and potential applications as electron acceptors and anion recognizers

Density functional theory has been used to calculate the thermodynamic properties and molecular orbitals of pillar[n]quinones. Pillar[n]quinones are expected to be effective electron acceptors and the ability to accept more than one electron increases with the size of the interior cavity. Pillar[5]quinone and pillar[7]quinone show a great intramolecular charge transfer upon the electron excitation from highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) as indicated by a large difference of electron distributions between their HOMO and LUMO and a notable dipole moment difference between the ground and first triplet excited state. The aggregation of pillar[n]quinones leads to tubular dimeric structures joined by 2n C? H···O nonclassical hydrogen bonds (HBs) with binding energies about 2 kcal/mol per HB. The longitudinal extension of the supramolecular self‐assembly of pillar[n]quinone may be adjustable through forming and breaking their HBs by controlling the surrounding environment. The tunability of the diameter of the tubular structures can be achieved by changing the number of quinone units in the pillar[n]quinone. The electrostatic potential maps of pillar[n]quinones indicate that the positive charge in the interior cavity decreases as the number of quinone units increases. Chloride and bromide anions are chosen to examine the noncovalent anion‐π interactions between pillar[n]quinones and captured anions. The calculations show that the better compatibility of the effective radius of the anions with the interior dimension of pillar[n]quinone leads to larger stabilization energy. The selectivity of spatial matching and specific interaction of pillar[n]quinone is believed to possibly serve as a candidate for ionic and molecular recognition. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2011     

Raman and FTIR spectroscopies of fluorescein in solutions

Raman and Fourier transform-infra red (FT-IR) spectroscopies of fluorescein in aqueous solutions have been investigated in the pH range from 9.1 to 5.4. At pH 9.1 fluorescein is in the dianion form. At pH 5.4, fluorescein is a mixture of monoanion (approximately 85%), dianion and neutral forms (together approximately 15%). The fluorescence quantum yield drops from 0.93 for the dianion form to 0.37 for the monoanion form. The Raman and FT-IR studies focused on the frequency range from 1000 to 1800 cm(-1) which contains the skeletal vibrational modes of the xanthene moiety of fluorescein. At pH 9.1, the spectroscopic feature of fluorescein dianion are consistent with a picture of an electron delocalized among the xanthene moiety and two identical oxygens attached to opposite ends of the xanthene moiety, forming a very symmetric structure. The characteristic of fluorescein dianion is the presence of the phenoxide-like stretch at 1310 cm(-1). At pH 5.4, fluorescein monoanion has lost the symmetric structure characteristic of the dianion. The spectra of the monoanion have distinctive contributions from the phenolic bend at 1184 cm(-1). The assignments of the vibrational bands shown in Raman and FT-IR spectra are given based on both literature and the ab initio calculations at the Hartree-Fock level with HF/6-31 + +G* basis set. Excellent correlation is found between the experimental and calculated spectra.     

Quantum Mechanical Studies of Intensity in Electronic Spectra of Fluorescein Dianion and Monoanion Forms

Quantum chemical ab initio investigations with full geometrical optimizations of dianion and monoanion fluorescein molecules in the ground state were performed by applying the density functional theory (DFT) B3PW91/6-311G** model to clarify the difference in the geometrical and electronic structure of the dianion molecule and that of monoanion in influencing fluorescence. The mechanism of fluorescence of dianion and monoanion is explained and the reason for intensive fluorescence of dianion compared with that of monoanion is studied     

Hydrogen-bonding between pyrimidine and water: a vibrational spectroscopic analysis

We present an experimental and a theoretical study on hydrogen-bonding between pyrimidine and water as the H-donor. The degree of hydrogen-bonding in this binary system varies with mixture composition. This was monitored experimentally by polarization-resolved linear Raman spectroscopy with the pyrimidine ring breathing mode nu1 as a marker band. A subsequent quantitative line shape analysis of the isotropic Raman intensity for 24 pyrimidine/water mixtures clearly revealed a splitting into three spectral components upon dilution with water. The two additional peaks have been assigned to distinct groups of hydrogen-bonded species that differ in the number of pyrimidine nitrogen atoms (N) involved in hydrogen-bonding to water hydrogen atoms (H). From the integrated Raman intensities for "free" and "hydrogen-bonded" pyrimidine, a concentration profile for these species was established. Our assignments and interpretations are supported by quantum mechanical calculations of structures and by vibrational spectra for pyrimidine and 10 pyrimidine/water complexes with increasing water content. Also, accurate structure-spectra correlations for different cluster subgroups have been determined; within each particular cluster subgroup the water content varies, and a perfect negative correlation between NH hydrogen-bond distances and nu1 wavenumbers was observed.     

Voltammetry of maleic acid in aqueous and mixed environments

The electrochemical behavior of maleic acid is studied on rotating disk electrodes and stationary electrodes of individual Cu, Cd, Pt, and Ta metals, Cu and Cd amalgams, and Cd alloys with Sn, Cu, In, Pb, Ni, and Ag in aqueous solutions and water mixtures with acetone, acetonitrile, ethanol, dimethylformamide, and pyridine. Basic kinetic parameters for the maleic acid reduction to succinic acid are determined. Depending on the solution composition, all three forms of maleic acid (nondissociated acid, monoanion, dianion) may undergo reduction. The difference between diffusion coefficients and kinetic reduction parameters of the acid and monoanion is insignificant and that of the monoanion and dianion is noticeable. This is due to an intramolecular hydrogen bond in the monoanion, which decreases the negative charge on its anion center. The effect the electrode nature and the mixed-media composition have on the maleic acid reduction kinetics is discussed     

A Fullerene/Lipid Electrode Device: Reversible Electron Transfer Reaction of C60 Embedded in a Cast Film of an Artificial Ammonium Lipid on an Electrode in Aqueous Solution

Two reversible one-electron transfers are observed for an electrode device made from C₆₀ and an artificial lipid (see schematic drawing). Cyclic voltammetric studies reveal that the redox couples are unchanged even after 50 cycles, thus indicating that the C₆₀ radical monoanion and the C₆₀ dianion generated in aqueous solution are very stable.     

Studies on quinones. Part 40: Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of anthraquinone epoxides and isomerization products

Aerobic oxidation of 1,4,4a,10a-tetrahydro-1,4-alkano-5,10-anthraquinones and thiophene-analogues in dichloromethane-DBU yielded the corresponding dihydroalkanoquinones which, depending on their structures, react with in situ generated hydroperoxide anion to give quinone epoxides and/or hydroperoxides. The calcium hydroxide-induced rearrangement of quinone epoxides yielded furan-containing angular quinones. The cytotoxic activities of quinone epoxides and their isomerization products were evaluated in vitro against normal human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) and human cancer gastric epithelial cells (AGS).     

Reaction of superoxide radical with quinone molecules

When the superoxide radical O(2)(?-) is generated on reaction of KO(2) with water in dimethyl sulfoxide, the decay of the radical is dramatically accelerated by inclusion of quinones in the reaction mix. For quinones with no or short hydrophobic tails, the radical product is a semiquinone at much lower yield, likely indicating reduction of quinone by superoxide and loss of most of the semiquinone product by disproportionation. In the presence of ubiquinone-10, a different species (I) is generated, which has the EPR spectrum of superoxide radical. However, pulsed EPR shows spin interaction with protons in fully deuterated solvent, indicating close proximity to the ubinquinone-10. We discuss the nature of species I, and possible roles in the physiological reactions through which ubisemiquinone generates superoxide by reduction of O(2) through bypass reactions in electron transfer chains.     

Chemiluminescence assay for quinones based on generation of reactive oxygen species through the redox cycle of quinone

A sensitive and selective chemiluminescence assay for the determination of quinones was developed. The method was based on generation of reactive oxygen species through the redox reaction between quinone and dithiothreitol as reductant, and then the generated reactive oxygen was detected by luminol chemiluminescence. The chemiluminescence was intense, long-lived, and proportional to quinone concentration. It is concluded that superoxide anion was involved in the proposed chemiluminescence reaction because the chemiluminescence intensity was decreased only in the presence of superoxide dismutase. Among the tested quinones, the chemiluminescence was observed from 9,10-phenanthrenequinone, 1,2-naphthoquinone, and 1,4-naphthoquinone, whereas it was not observed from 9,10-anthraquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone. The chemiluminescence property was greatly different according to the structure of quinones. The chemiluminescence was also observed for biologically important quinones such as ubiquinone. Therefore, a simple and rapid assay for ubiquinone in pharmaceutical preparation was developed based on the proposed chemiluminescence reaction. The detection limit (blank + 3SD) of ubiquinone was 0.05 μM (9 ng/assay) with an analysis time of 30 s per sample. The developed assay allowed the direct determination of ubiquinone in pharmaceutical preparation without any purification procedure. Figure Chemiluminescence generated through the redox cycle of quinone     

A new approach to the spectral study of unstable radicals and ions in solution by the use of an inert gas glovebox system: observation and analysis of the infrared spectra of the radical anion and dianion of p-terphenyl

By using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer contained in an inert gas glovebox system (oxygen and water concentrations: <0.1 ppm), high-quality infrared absorption spectra have been observed for the radical anion and dianion of p-terphenyl in tetrahydrofuran solutions. Density functional theory with the B3LYP nonlocal exchange-correlation functional and the 6-311+G** basis set has been used for the calculations of the structures and infrared spectra of the neutral species, radical anion, and dianion of p-terphenyl. The observed infrared spectra of the radical anion and dianion are in good agreement with those calculated by density functional theory. The origin of the strong infrared absorption intensities characteristic of the radical anion and dianion are discussed in terms of changes in electronic structures induced by specific normal vibrations (electron-molecular vibration interaction).     

Remarkable sensitivity of the electrochemical reduction of benzophenone to proton availability in ionic liquids

The reduction of benzophenone was investigated in five different ionic liquids by using transient cyclic voltammetry, near steady-state voltammetry, and numerical simulation. Two reversible, well-resolved one-electron-reduction processes were observed in dry (≤20 ppm water, ca. 1 mM)) 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Bmpyrd][NTf(2)]) and 1-butyl-1-methylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Bmpipd][NTf(2)]), which did not contain any readily available proton source. Upon addition of water, the second process became chemically irreversible and shifted to a more positive potential by approximately 600 mV; moreover, the two reduction processes merged into a single two-electron proton-coupled process when about 0.6 M H(2)O was present. This large dependence of potential on water content, which was not observed in molecular solvents (electrolyte), was explained by a reaction mechanism that incorporated protonation and hydrogen-bonding interactions of the benzophenone dianion with as many as seven water molecules. In the three imidazolium-based ionic liquids used herein, the first benzophenone-reduction process was again reversible, whilst the second reduction process became chemically irreversible owing to the availability of the C2-H imidazolium protons in these ionic liquids. The reversible potentials for benzophenone reduction were remarkably independent of the identity of the ionic liquids, thereby implying either weak interactions with the ionic liquids or relatively insignificant differences in the levels of ion-pairing. Thus, the magnitude of the separation of the potentials of the reversible first and irreversible second reduction processes mainly reflected the proton availability from either the ionic liquid itself or from adventitious water. Consequently, voltammetric reduction of benzophenone provides a sensitive tool for the determination of proton availability in ionic liquids.     

Acid-base equilibriums of lumichrome and its 1-methyl, 3-methyl, and 1,3-dimethyl derivatives

Lumichrome photophysical properties at different pH were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques, in four forms of protonation/deprotonation: neutral form, two monoanions, and dianion. The excited-state lifetimes of these forms of lumichrome were measured and discussed. The results were compared to those obtained for similar forms of alloxazine and/or isoalloxazine, and also to those of 1-methyl- and 3-methyllumichrome and 1,3-dimethyllumichrome. The absorption, emission, and synchronous spectra of lumichrome, 1-methyl- and 3-methyllumichrome, and 1,3-dimethyllumichrome at different pH were measured and used in discussion of fluorescence of neutral and deprotonated forms of lumichrome. The analysis of steady-state and time-resolved spectra and the DFT calculations both predict that the N(1) monoanion and the N(1,3) dianion of lumichrome have predominantly isoalloxazinic structures. Additionally, we confirmed that neutral lumichrome exists in its alloxazinic form only, in both the ground and the excited state. We also confirmed the existence and the alloxazinic structure of a second N(3) monoanion. The estimated values of pK(a) = 8.2 are for the equilibrium between neutral lumichrome and alloxazinic and isoalloxazinic monoanions, with proton dissociation from N(1)-H and N(3)-H groups proceeding at the almost the same pH, while the second value pK(a) = 11.4 refers to the formation of the isoalloxazinic dianion in the ground state.