Reaction of 5,6,7,8-Tetrahydropterin with Iron(III) Acetylacetonate. Detection of Radical Cations by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The experimental conditions developed for the detection of rather stable radical cations in solution by electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) of a Fe^II complex of 2-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5-methylpteridin-4 (3H)-one ( 1c ) are used to observe the formation of the more unstable radical cations formed from 2-amino-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropteridin-4(3H)-one ( 1a ) and tris(pentane-2,4-dionato)iron(III) ([Fe^III(acac)₃]; 4 ) and to monitor their oxidation to the corresponding p-quinonoid dihydropterin complexes. These results contribute to the understanding of the important role played by 6β-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-L -biopterin ( 1b ; a homologue of 1a ) together with iron as constituent of some cofactors. The complexes obtained from 1a and iron may be considered, e.g. as a model of the cofactor of the phenylalanine hydroxylase. Moreover, we describe an improved synthesis of 1c .