Insights into 2- and 4(5)-Nitroimidazole Decomposition into Relevant Ions and Molecules Induced by VUV Ionization

Shell-dependent photofragmentation dynamics of a heavy-atom-containing bifunctional nitroimidazole radiosensitizer

Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to break chemical bonds in cancer cells, thereby causing DNA damage and leading to cell death. The therapeutic effectiveness can be further increased by making the tumor cells more sensitive to radiation. Here, we investigate the role of the initial halogen atom core hole on the photofragmentation dynamics of 2-bromo-5-iodo-4-nitroimidazole, a potential bifunctional radiosensitizer. Bromine and iodine atoms were included in the molecule to increase the photoionization cross-section of the radiosensitizer at higher photon energies. The fragmentation dynamics of the molecule was studied experimentally in the gas phase using photoelectron-photoion-photoion coincidence spectroscopy and computationally using Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics. We observed significant changes between shallow core (I 4d, Br 3d) and deep core (I 3d) ionization in fragment formation and their kinetic energies. Despite the fact, that the ions ejected after deep core ionization have higher kinetic energies, we show that in a cellular environment, the ion spread is not much larger, keeping the damage well-localized.

Heavy element incorporation in nitroimidazole radiosensitizers: molecular-level insights into fragmentation dynamics

The present study investigates the photofragmentation behavior of iodine-enhanced nitroimidazole-based radiosensitizer model compounds in their protonated form using near-edge X-ray absorption mass spectrometry and quantum mechanical calculations. These molecules possess dual functionality: improved photoabsorption capabilities and the ability to generate species that are relevant to cancer sensitization upon photofragmentation. Four samples were investigated by scanning the generated fragments in the energy regions around C 1s, N 1s, O 1s, and I 3d-edges with a particular focus on NO2+ production. The experimental summed ion yield spectra are explained using the theoretical near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectrum based on density functional theory. Born-Oppenheimer-based molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the fragmentation processes.

Aqueous Stability of Metal-Organic Frameworks Using ReaxFF-Based Metadynamics Simulations

Aqueous stability is a critical property for the application of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials in humid conditions. The sampling of the free energy surface for a water reaction is challenging due to a lack of a reactive force field. Here, we developed a ReaxFF force field for simulating the reaction of zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIFs) with water. We carried out metadynamics simulations based on ReaxFF to study the reaction of water with a few different types of MOFs. We also conducted an experimental water immersion test and characterized the XRD, TG, and gas adsorption properties of the MOFs before and after the immersion test. By considering the energy barrier for a hydrolysis reaction, the simulation results are in good agreement with the experiments. MOFs with open structures and large pores are found to be unstable in metadynamics simulations, where the water molecule can attack or bond with the metallic node relatively easily. In contrast, it is more difficult for water to attack the Zn atom in the ZnN₄ tetrahedral structure of ZIFs. We also found that ZIFs with the -NO₂ functional groups have higher water stability. Discrepancies between the metadynamics simulation and gas adsorption experiments have been accounted for from the phase/crystallinity change of the structure reflected in the X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry analysis of the MOF samples.

Photodissociation of bromine-substituted nitroimidazole radiosensitizers

Heavy elements and some nitroimidazoles both exhibit radiosensitizing properties through different mechanisms. In an effort to see how the overall radiosensitivity might be affected when the two radiosensitizers are combined in the same molecule, we studied the gas-phase photodissociation of two brominated nitroimidazoles and a bromine-free reference sample. Synchrotron radiation was employed to initiate the photodynamics and energy-resolved multiparticle coincidence spectroscopy was used to study the ensuing dissociation. We observed the brominated samples releasing high amounts of potentially radiosensitizing fragments upon dissociation. Since bromination also increases the likelihood of the drug molecule being ionised per a given X-ray dose, we conclude that heavy-element substitution of nitroimidazoles appears to be a viable path towards new, potent radiosensitizer drugs.

Photoelectron-photoion(s) coincidence studies of molecules of biological interest

Photoelectron-photoion(s) coincidence, PEPICO, experiments with synchrotron radiation have become one of the most powerful tools to investigate dissociative photoionization thanks to their selectivity. In this paper their application to the study of molecular species of biological interest in the gas phase is reviewed. Some applications of PEPICO to the study of potential radiosensitizers, amino acids and small peptides and opportunities offered by the advent of novel methods for the production of beams of these molecules are discussed.

Perspectives of Gas Phase Ion Chemistry: Spectroscopy and Modeling

The study of ions in the gas phase has a long history and has involved both chemists and physicists. The interplay of their competences with the use of very sophisticated commercial and/or homemade instrumentations and theoretical models has improved the knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics of many chemical reactions, even if still many stages of these processes need to be fully understood. The new technologies and the novel free-electron laser facilities based on plasma acceleration open new opportunities to investigate the chemical reactions in some unrevealed fundamental aspects. The synchrotron light source can be put beside the FELs, and by mass spectrometric techniques and spectroscopies coupled with versatile ion sources it is possible to really change the state of the art of the ion chemistry in different areas such as atmospheric and astro chemistry, plasma chemistry, biophysics, and interstellar medium (ISM). In this manuscript we review the works performed by a joint combination of the experimental studies of ion–molecule reactions with synchrotron radiation and theoretical models adapted and developed to the experimental evidence. The review concludes with the perspectives of ion–molecule reactions by using FEL instrumentations as well as pump probe measurements and the initial attempt in the development of more realistic theoretical models for the prospective improvement of our predictive capability.

Electron and ion spectroscopy of the cyclo-alanine-alanine dipeptide

The VUV photoionisation and photofragmentation of cyclo-alanine-alanine (cAA) has been studiedin a joint experimental and theoretical work. The photoelectron spectrum and the photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PEPICO) measurements, which enable a control...

Ionization of 2- and 4(5)-Nitroimidazoles Radiosensitizers: A "Kinetic Competition" Between NO2 and NO Losses

Nitroimidazoles are a class of chemicals with a remarkable broad spectrum of applications from the production of explosives to the use as radiosensitizers in radiotherapy. The understanding of thedynamics of their fragmentation induced by ionizing sources is of fundamental interest. The goal of this work is to theoretically investigate the kinetic competition between the two most important decomposition channels of 2, 4 and 5‐Nitroimidazole cations: the NO and NO₂ losses. The calculated rate constants of the two processes are in very good agreement with the experimental Photoelectron‐Photoion Coincidence (PEPICO) branching ratio. This study solves the intriguing and theoretically unexplained experimental observation that 2‐Nitroimidazole, at variance with the other two regio‐isomers is a source for only NO at low energies (<12.76 eV). This is a key point for biomedical application of the nitroimidazoles, because NO is the vasodilator that favors the reoxigenation of hypoxic tumor tissues.

NMR Chemical Shift and Methylation of 4-Nitroimidazole: Experiment and Theory

Nitroimidazoles and derivatives are a class of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) first introduced sixty years ago. As anti-infection agents, the structure–activity relationships of nitroimidazole compounds have been particularly difficult to study due to their low reduction potentials and unique electronic structures. In this study, we combine dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced solid-state (100K), solid-state (298K), and 1H-13C heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) solution-state NMR techniques (303K) with density functional theory (DFT) to study the 1H, 13C, and 15N chemical shifts of 4-nitroimidazole (4-NI) and 1-methyl-4-nitroimidazole (CH3-4NI). The 4-NI chemical shifts were observed at 119.4, 136.4, and 144.7ppm for 13C, and at 181.5, 237.4, and 363.0ppm for 15N. The measurements revealed that methylation (deprotonation) of the amino nitrogen N(1) of 4-NI had less effect (Δδ=−4.8ppm) on the N(1) chemical shift but was compensated by shielding of the N(3) (Δδ=11.6ppm) in CH3-4NI. The calculated chemical shifts using DFT for 4-NI and CH3-4NI agreed well with the experimental values (within 2%) for the imidazole carbons. However, larger discrepancies (up to 13%) were observed between the calculated and measured 15N NMR chemical shifts for the imidazole nitrogen atoms of both molecules, which indicate that effects such as imidazole ring resonant structures and molecular dynamics may also contribute to the nitrogen chemical environment.

VUV Photofragmentation of Chloroiodomethane: The Iso-CH2I-Cl and Iso-CH2Cl-I Radical Cation Formation

Dihalomethanes XCH₂Y (X and Y = F, Cl, Br, and I) are a class of compounds involved in several processes leading to the release of halogen atoms, ozone consumption, and aerosol particle formation. Neutral dihalomethanes have been largely studied, but chemical physics properties and processes involving their radical ions, like the pathways of their decomposition, have not been completely investigated. In this work the photodissociation dynamics of the ClCH₂I molecule has been explored in the photon energy range 9–21 eV using both VUV rare gas discharge lamps and synchrotron radiation. The experiments show that, among the different fragment ions, CH₂I⁺ and CH₂Cl⁺, which correspond to the Cl- and I-losses, respectively, play a dominant role. The experimental ionization energy of ClCH₂I and the appearance energies of the CH₂I⁺ and CH₂Cl⁺ ions are in agreement with the theoretical results obtained at the MP2/CCSD(T) level of theory. Computational investigations have been also performed to study the isomerization of geminal [ClCH₂I]^•+ into the iso-chloroiodomethane isomers: [CH₂I–Cl]^•+ and [CH₂Cl–I]^•+.

Fragmentation Patterns of Radiosensitizers Metronidazole and Nimorazole upon Valence Ionization

We study gas-phase photodissociation of radiosensitizer molecules nimorazole and metronidazole with the focus on the yield of the oxygen mimics nitrogen oxides and nitrous acid. Regardless of photon energy, we find the nimorazole cation to split the intramolecular bridge with little NO₂ or NO production, which makes the molecule a precursor of dehydrogenated methylnitroimidazole. Metronidazole cation, on the contrary, has numerous fragmentation pathways with strong energy dependence. Most notably, ejection of NOOH and NO₂ takes place within 4 eV from the valence ionization energy. Whereas the NO₂ ejection is followed by further fragmentation steps when energy so allows, we find emission of NOOH takes place in microsecond time-scales and as a slow process that is relevant only when no other competing reaction is feasible. These primary dissociation characteristics of the molecules are understood by applying the long-known principle of rapid internal conversion of the initial electronic excitation energy and by studying the energy minima and the saddle points on the potential energy surface of the electronic ground state of the molecular cation.

The Reaction of Sulfur Dioxide Radical Cation with Hydrogen and its Relevance in Solar Geoengineering Models

SO₂ has been proposed in solar geoengineering as a precursor of H₂ SO₄ aerosol, a cooling agent active in the stratosphere to contrast climate change. Atmospheric ionization sources can ionize SO₂ into excited states of S O 2 · + , which quickly reacts with trace gases in the stratosphere. In this work we explore the reaction of H 2 D 2 with S O 2 · + excited by tunable synchrotron radiation, leading to H S O 2 + + H ( D S O 2 + + D ), where H contributes to O₃ depletion and OH formation. Density Functional Theory and Variational Transition State Theory have been used to investigate the dynamics of the title barrierless and exothermic reaction. The present results suggest that solar geoengineering models should test the reactivity of S O 2 · + with major trace gases in the stratosphere, such as H₂ since this is a relevant channel for the OH formation during the nighttime when there is not OH production by sunlight. OH oxides SO₂ , triggering the chemical reactions leading to H₂ SO₄ aerosol.

Electron Transfer Induced Decomposition in Potassium-Nitroimidazoles Collisions: An Experimental and Theoretical Work

Electron transfer induced decomposition mechanism of nitroimidazole and a selection of analogue molecules in collisions with neutral potassium (K) atoms from 10 to 1000 eV have been thoroughly investigated. In this laboratory collision regime, the formation of negative ions was time-of-flight mass analyzed and the fragmentation patterns and branching ratios have been obtained. The most abundant anions have been assigned to the parent molecule and the nitrogen oxide anion (NO₂^–) and the electron transfer mechanisms are comprehensively discussed. This work focuses on the analysis of all fragment anions produced and it is complementary of our recent work on selective hydrogen loss from the transient negative ions produced in these collisions. Ab initio theoretical calculations were performed for 4-nitroimidazole (4NI), 2-nitroimidazole (2NI), 1-methyl-4- (Me4NI) and 1-methyl-5-nitroimidazole (Me5NI), and imidazole (IMI) in the presence of a potassium atom and provided a strong basis for the assignment of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals accessed in the collision process.

Electron Ionization of Imidazole and Its Derivative 2-Nitroimidazole

Imidazole (IMI) is a basic building block of many biologically important compounds. Thus, its electron ionization properties are of major interest and essential for the comparison with other molecular targets containing its elemental structure. 2-Nitroimidazole (2NI) contains the imidazole ring together with nitrogen dioxide bound to the C2 position, making it a radiosensitizing compound in hypoxic tumors. In the present study, we investigated electron ionization of IMI and 2NI and determined the mass spectra, the ionization energies, and appearance energies of the most abundant fragment cations. The experiments were complemented by quantum chemical calculations on the thermodynamic thresholds and potential energy surfaces, with particular attention to the calculated transition states for the most important dissociation reactions. In the case of IMI, substantially lower threshold values (up to ~ 1.5 eV) were obtained in the present work compared to the only available previous electron ionization study. Closer agreement was found with recent photon ionization values, albeit the general trend of slightly higher values for the case of electron ionization. The only exception for imidazole was found in the molecular cation at m/z 40 which is tentatively assigned to the quasi-linear HCCNH+/ HCNCH+. Electron ionization of 2NI leads to analogous fragment cations as in imidazole, yet different dissociation pathways must be operative due to the presence of the NO2 group. Regarding the potential radiosensitization properties of 2NI, electron ionization is characterized by dominant parent cation formation and release of the neutral NO radical.

Radiation Damage Mechanisms of Chemotherapeutically Active Nitroimidazole Derived Compounds

Photoionization mass spectrometry, photoelectron-photoion coincidence spectroscopic technique, and computational methods have been combined to investigate the fragmentation of two nitroimidazole derived compounds: the metronidazole and misonidazole. These molecules are used in radiotherapy thanks to their capability to sensitize hypoxic tumor cells to radiation by "mimicking" the effects of the presence of oxygen as a damaging agent. Previous investigations of the fragmentation patterns of the nitroimidazole isomers (Bolognesi et al., 2016; Cartoni et al., 2018) have shown their capacity to produce reactive molecular species such as nitric oxide, carbon monoxide or hydrogen cyanide, and their potential impact on the biological system. The results of the present work suggest that different mechanisms are active for the more complex metronidazole and misonidazole molecules. The release of nitric oxide is hampered by the efficient formation of nitrous acid or nitrogen dioxide. Although both metronidazole and misonidazole contain imidazole ring in the backbone, the side branches of these molecules lead to very different bonding mechanisms and properties.

Core Shell Investigation of 2-nitroimidazole

Tunability and selectivity of synchrotron radiation have been used to study the excitation and ionization of 2-nitroimidazole at the C, N, and O K-edges. The combination of a set of different measurements (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, near-edge photoabsorption spectroscopy, Resonant Auger electron spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry) and computational modeling have successfully disclosed local effects due to the chemical environment on both excitation/ionization and fragmentation of the molecule.

Controlling NO Production Upon Valence Ionization of Nitroimidazoles

Nitroimidazole exhibits a remarkable regioselective fragmentation subsequent to valence ionization, which is characterized by ejection of NO. As NO is also considered to be an effective radiosensitizer, we investigated its production efficiency as a function of isomeric composition (the site of the NO₂ nitro group). We observe strong dependence in the 8.6-15 eV binding energy range, and moreover, that the production of NO can be effectively suppressed by methylation of nitroimidazole. This behavior can be understood by modification of the valence electronic structure with respect to the dissociation threshold, which gives rise to varying effective density of dissociative states. We find the NO yield to follow the efficiency of the nitroimidazole dervivatives as radiosensitizers, found in preclinical studies.

Gas Phase Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide by Sulfur Dioxide Radical Cation: Reaction Dynamics and Kinetic Trend With the Temperature

Gas phase ion chemistry has fundamental and applicative purposes since it allows the study of the chemical processes in a solvent free environment and represents models for reactions occurring in the space at low and high temperatures. In this work the ion-molecule reaction of sulfur dioxide ion SO 2 . + with carbon monoxide CO is investigated in a joint experimental and theoretical study. The reaction is a fast and exothermic chemical oxidation of CO into more stable CO₂ by a metal free species, as SO 2 . + , excited into ro-vibrational levels of the electronic ground state by synchrotron radiation. The results show that the reaction is hampered by the enhancement of internal energy of sulfur dioxide ion and the only ionic product is SO^.+. The theoretical approach of variational transition state theory (VTST) based on density functional electronic structure calculations, shows an interesting and peculiar reaction dynamics of the interacting system along the reaction path. Two energy minima corresponding to [SO₂-CO]^.+ and [OS-OCO]^.+ complexes are identified. These minima are separated by an intersystem crossing barrier which couples the bent ³B₂ state of CO₂ with C_2v symmetry and the ¹A₁ state with linear D_∞h symmetry. The spin and charge reorganization along the minimum energy path (MEP) are analyzed and eventually the charge and spin remain allocated to the SO^.+ moiety and the stable CO₂ molecule is easily produced. There is no bottleneck that slows down the reaction and the values of the rate coefficient k at different temperatures are calculated with capture theory. A value of 2.95 × 10^-10 cm³s^-1molecule^-1 is obtained at 300 K in agreement with the literature experimental measurement of 3.00 × 10^-10 ± 20% cm³s^-1molecule^-1, and a negative trend with temperature is predicted consistently with the experimental observations.