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  • Title: Free radical coupling of o-semiquinones uncovered.
    Author: Pezzella A, Crescenzi O, Panzella L, Napolitano A, Land EJ, Barone V, d'Ischia M.
    Journal: J Am Chem Soc; 2013 Aug 14; 135(32):12142-9. PubMed ID: 23862650.
    Abstract:
    As a rule, o-semiquinones decay through disproportionation leading to equimolar amounts of catechol and o-quinone products. However, the o-semiquinone 1S generated by pulse radiolysis oxidation of the eumelanin precursor 5,6-dihydroxyindole (1) decays with second-order kinetics to generate broad visible chromophores that are incompatible with the predicted absorption of 5,6-indolequinone (1Q). Using an integrated chemical, pulse radiolytic and computational approach as well as deuterium labeling, we show herein that 1S and related 5,6-dihydroxyindole semiquinones decay mainly by a free radical coupling mechanism. This conclusion was supported by the inverse kinetic isotope effect observed with deuterated 1S, the identification of unprecedented dihydrobiindole products by one-electron oxidation of 1, the good matching of simulated absorption profiles of free radical coupling products of 1S with experimental spectra, and a detailed computational analysis of the kinetics and thermodynamics of the disproportionation equilibrium and free radical coupling of 1S versus 1-1Q coupling. These results disclose, to the best of our knowledge, the first example of free radical dimerization of o-semiquinones outcompeting the classic disproportionation-driven catechol-quinone coupling and suggest that this hitherto unrecognized process may be of broader relevance than previously believed.
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