Long-range electron transfer across peptide chains with different secondary structures

Electron transfer in peptides and proteins

Proteins and peptides use their amino acids as medium for electron-transfer reactions that occur either in single-step superexchange or in multistep hopping processes. Whereas the rate of the single-step electron transfer dramatically decreases with the distance, a hopping process is less distance dependent. Electron hopping is possible if amino acids carry oxidizable side chains, like the phenol group in tyrosine. These side chains become intermediate charge carriers. Because of the weak distance dependency of hopping processes, fast electron transfer over very long distances occurs in multistep reactions, as in the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase.

Ab initio calculations on the intramolecular electron transfer rates of a bis(hydrazine) radical cation

Electron transfer (ET) rates of a charge localized (Class II) intervalence radical cation of a bis(hydrazine) are investigated theoretically. First, the intramolecular ET parameters, i.e., reorganization energy, electronic coupling, and effective frequency, are calculated using several ab initio approaches. And then, the extended Sumi-Marcus theory is employed to predict ET rates by using the parameters obtained. The results reveal that the rates of three isomers of [22/hex/22]+, oo+[22/hex/22]+, io +[22/hex/22]+, and oi+[22/hex/22]+, are agreement with the experiment quite well while the rate of isomer ii+[22/hex/22]+ is about 1000 times larger than those of the others. The validity of different ab initio approaches for this system is discussed.