Extremely Fast Hydrogen Atom Transfer between Nitroxides and HOO· Radicals and Implication for Catalytic Coantioxidant Systems

Photochemical and Oxidative Degradation of Chamazulene Contained in Artemisia, Matricaria and Achillea Essential Oils and Setup of Protection Strategies

Chamazulene (CA) is an intensely blue molecule with a wealth of biological properties. In cosmetics, chamazulene is exploited as a natural coloring and soothing agent. CA is unstable and tends to spontaneously degrade, accelerated by light. We studied the photodegradation of CA upon controlled exposure to UVB-UVA irradiation by multiple techniques, including GC-MS, UHPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS and by direct infusion in ESI-MSn, which were matched to in silico mass spectral simulations to identify degradation products. Seven byproducts formed upon UVA exposure for 3 h at 70 mW/cm2 (blue-to-green color change) were identified, including CA dimers and CA benzenoid, which were not found on extended 6 h irradiation (green-to-yellow fading). Photostability tests with reduced irradiance conducted in various solvents in the presence/absence of air indicated highest degradation in acetonitrile in the presence of oxygen, suggesting a photo-oxidative mechanism. Testing in the presence of antioxidants (tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, hydroxytyrosol, bakuchiol, γ-terpinene, TEMPO and their combinations) indicated the highest protection by tocopherol and TEMPO. Sunscreens ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and particularly Tinosorb® S (but not octocrylene) showed good CA photoprotection. Thermal stability tests indicated no degradation of CA in acetonitrile at 50 °C in the dark for 50 days; however, accelerated degradation occurred in the presence of ascorbyl palmitate.

Enhancement of Diarylamine Antioxidant Activity by Molybdenum Dithiocarbamates

Molybdenum dithiocarbamates (MDTCs) are indispensable lubricant additives. Although their role as antiwear agents is well established, they have also been attributed antioxidant properties that are not understood. MDTCs do not inhibit autoxidation, but they markedly enhance the capacity of diphenylamines (DPAs)─ubiquitous radical-trapping antioxidants (RTAs)─to do so. We find this synergy to be evident not only at elevated temperatures (160 °C in n-hexadecane) but also at moderate temperatures, where autoxidations can be continuously monitored and kinetics more easily interpreted (100 °C in squalane). Interestingly, the synergy disappeared in an unsaturated hydrocarbon (n-hexadec-1-ene), where the RTA activity of the DPA is known to result from the diarylnitroxide derived therefrom. Autoxidations of squalane carried out in the presence of the diarylnitroxide─wherein it is a poor inhibitor─were much better inhibited in the presence of MDTC, suggesting that it converts the nitroxide to (a) more competent RTA(s). Indeed, preparative experiments revealed two species: DPA and a DPA dimer into which a single oxygen atom had been incorporated. This conversion is accelerated by the oxidation of MDTC to a dioxo molybdenum species. A mechanism is proposed to account for these observations, and the implications of our findings and their interpretation are discussed.

Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Protection

Lipid peroxidation (LP) is the most important type of oxidative-radical damage in biological systems, owing to its interplay with ferroptosis and to its role in secondary damage to other biomolecules, such as proteins. The chemistry of LP and its biological consequences are reviewed with focus on the kinetics of the various processes, which helps understand the mechanisms and efficacy of antioxidant strategies. The main types of antioxidants are discussed in terms of structure-activity rationalization, with focus on mechanism and kinetics, as well as on their potential role in modulating ferroptosis. Phenols, pyri(mi)dinols, antioxidants based on heavy chalcogens (Se and Te), diarylamines, ascorbate and others are addressed, along with the latest unconventional antioxidant strategies based on the double-sided role of the superoxide/hydroperoxyl radical system.

Insight into the Antioxidant Activity of 1,8-Dihydroxynaphthalene Allomelanin Nanoparticles

Melanins are stable and non-toxic pigments with great potential as chemopreventive agents against oxidative stress for medical and cosmetic applications. Allomelanin is a class of nitrogen-free melanin often found in fungi. The artificial allomelanin obtained by the polymerization of 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN), poly-DHN (PDHN), has been recently indicated as a better radical quencher than polydopamine (PDA), a melanin model obtained by the polymerization of dopamine (DA); however, the chemical mechanisms underlying this difference are unclear. Here we investigate, by experimental and theoretical methods, the ability of PDHN nanoparticles (PDHN-NP), in comparison to PDA-NP, to trap alkylperoxyl (ROO•) and hydroperoxyl (HOO•) radicals that are involved in the propagation of peroxidation in real conditions. Our results demonstrate that PDHN-NP present a higher antioxidant efficiency with respect to PDA-NP against ROO• in water at pH 7.4 and against mixed ROO• and HOO• in acetonitrile, showing catalytic cross-termination activity. The antioxidant capacity of PDHN-NP in water is 0.8 mmol/g (ROO• radicals quenched by 1 g of PDHN-NP), with a rate constant of 3 × 105 M-1 s-1 for each reactive moiety. Quantum-mechanical calculations revealed that, thanks to the formation of a H-bond network, the quinones in PDHN-NP have a high affinity for H-atoms, thus justifying the high reactivity of PDHN-NP with HOO• observed experimentally.

The Synergy between Glutathione and Phenols-Phenolic Antioxidants Repair Glutathione: Closing the Virtuous Circle-A Theoretical Insight

Glutathione (GSH) and phenols are well-known antioxidants, and previous research has suggested that their combination can enhance antioxidant activity. In this study, we used Quantum Chemistry and computational kinetics to investigate how this synergy occurs and elucidate the underlying reaction mechanisms. Our results showed that phenolic antioxidants could repair GSH through sequential proton loss electron transfer (SPLET) in aqueous media, with rate constants ranging from 3.21 × 10⁶ M^-1 s^-1 for catechol to 6.65 × 10⁸ M^-1 s^-1 for piceatannol, and through proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) in lipid media with rate constants ranging from 8.64 × 10⁶ M^-1 s^-1 for catechol to 5.53 × 10⁷ M^-1 s^-1 for piceatannol. Previously it was found that superoxide radical anion (O₂^•-) can repair phenols, thereby completing the synergistic circle. These findings shed light on the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of combining GSH and phenols as antioxidants.

Melamine Barbiturate as a Light-Induced Nanostructured Supramolecular Material for a Bioinspired Oxygen and Organic Radical Trap and Stabilization

Use of coantioxidant systems is a prospective way to increase the effectiveness of antioxidant species in tissue repair and regeneration. In this paper, we introduce a novel scheme of a reactive oxygen species (ROS) trap and neutralization during self-assembly of supramolecular melamine barbiturate material. The performed reaction chain mimics the biological process of ROS generation in key stages and enables one to obtain stable hydroperoxyl and organic radicals in a melamine barbiturate structure. Melamine barbiturate also neutralizes hydroxyl radicals, and the effectiveness of the radical trap is controlled with ROS scavenger incorporation. The number of radicals dramatically increases during light-inducing and depends on pH. The proposed scheme of the ROS trap and neutralization opens a way to the use of supramolecular assemblies as a component of coantioxidant systems and a source of organic radicals.

An atoms-in-molecules characterization of the nature of the OO bond in peroxides and nitroxide dimers

The quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) method is used to examine the OO bond in peroxides (RO-OR) and nitroxide dimers (R₂ NO-ONR₂ ), including Fremy's salt. The electron density (ρ), electron kinetic energy density [K(ρ)], and Laplacian of the electron density (∇² ρ) at bond critical points characterize the nature of the OO bond. The data distinguish OO bonding of two kinds. Large values of ρ and positive ∇² ρ and K(ρ) suggest that simple peroxides have charge-shift bonds. Nitroxide dimers, with smaller ρ, positive ∇² ρ, and near-zero K(ρ), show a lack of shared electron density, suggesting there is no conventional OO bonding in these molecules. QTAIM analysis at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory gives results in agreement with valence-bond theory and X-ray diffraction characterizations of peroxide OO bonds as charge-shift bonds. In contrast, CCSD/cc-pVDZ calculations fail to agree with previous results because of an insufficient, single-determinant treatment of the charge-shift bond.

Reaction with ROO• and HOO• Radicals of Honokiol-Related Neolignan Antioxidants

Honokiol is a natural bisphenol neolignan present in the bark of Magnolia officinalis, whose extracts have been employed in oriental medicine to treat several disorders, showing a variety of biological properties, including antitumor activity, potentially related to radical scavenging. Six bisphenol neolignans with structural motifs related to the natural bioactive honokiol were synthesized. Their chain-breaking antioxidant activity was evaluated in the presence of peroxyl (ROO•) and hydroperoxyl (HOO•) radicals by both experimental and computational methods. Depending on the number and position of the hydroxyl and alkyl groups present on the molecules, these derivatives are more or less effective than the reference natural compound. The rate constant of the reaction with ROO• radicals for compound 7 is two orders of magnitude greater than that of honokiol. Moreover, for compounds displaying quinonic oxidized forms, we demonstrate that the addition of 1,4 cyclohexadiene, able to generate HOO• radicals, restores their antioxidant activity, because of the reducing capability of the HOO• radicals. The antioxidant activity of the oxidized compounds in combination with 1,4-cyclohexadiene is, in some cases, greater than that found for the starting compounds towards the peroxyl radicals. This synergy can be applied to maximize the performances of these new bisphenol neolignans.

Revisiting the Electrochemistry of TEMPOH Analogues in Acetonitrile

Hydroxylamines, represented by 1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TEMPOH), are widely involved as active species in various chemical and electrochemical oxidations. The electrochemical behavior of TEMPOH is crucial to understanding the mechanisms of TEMPO-mediated redox sequences. However, compared to abundant studies on TEMPOH electrochemistry in aqueous solutions, the sole value of its oxidation potential E_ox(TEMPOH) in organic solutions was reported to be 0.7 V (vs Fc in acetonitrile), seemingly conflicting with experimentally observed facile oxidation of TEMPOH. Herein, the electrochemistry of TEMPOH derivatives in acetonitrile was revisited, featuring much smaller oxidation potentials (about 0 V) than literature ones. Acid/base effects and kinetic studies lent credibility to these new values. Such a 0.7 V energy discrepancy impelled us to review the thermodynamic properties and oxidation mechanisms of TEMPOH deduced from the old value.

Mutual Activation of Two Radical Trapping Agents: Unusual "Win-Win Synergy" of Resveratrol and TEMPO during Scavenging of dpph• Radical in Methanol

The reaction of the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (dpph^•) with resveratrol in methanol (k^MeOH = 192 M^-1 s^-1) is greatly accelerated in the presence of stable nitroxyl radical TEMPO^• (k_mix^MeOH = 1.4 × 10³ M^-1 s^-1). This synergistic effect is surprising because TEMPO^• alone reacts with dpph^• relatively slowly (k^S = 31 M^-1 s^-1 in methanol and 0.03 M^-1 s^-1 in nonpolar ethyl acetate). We propose a putative mechanism in which a mutual activation occurs within the acid-base pair TEMPO^•/RSV to the resveratrol (RSV) anion and TEMPOH^•+ radical cation, both being extremely fast scavengers of the dpph^• radical. The fast initial reaction is followed by a much slower but continuous decay of dpph^• because a nitroxyl radical is recovered from the TEMPOnium cation, which is reduced directly by RSV/RSV^- to TEMPO^• or recovered indirectly via a reaction with methanol, producing TEMPOH subsequently oxidized by dpph^• to TEMPO^•.

New Insights into the Actual H-Abstraction Activities of Important Oxygen and Nitrogen Free Radicals: Thermodynamics and Kinetics in Acetonitrile

The H-abstraction activity of a free radical is a research hotspot and has been extensively studied. In this article, the second-order rate constants of 21 HAT reactions in acetonitrile at 298 K were chosen from several published literature. A kinetic study on the H-abstraction reaction from TEMPOH by a DPPH^• radical was carried out. This reaction was researched as an insertion point. By combining this reaction with the 21 HAT reactions in this paper, the thermokinetic parameters of 28 free radicals X and their corresponding antioxidants XH were obtained by the cross-HAT reaction method. The scales of the H-abstraction activities of these 28 oxygen and nitrogen free radicals were determined by using the thermokinetic parameters ΔG ^≠o(X). Applications of the thermokinetic parameter ΔG ^≠o(X) in assessing the actual H-abstraction activity of a free radical quantitatively and selecting a suitable free radical in scientific research and chemical production were discussed. Predictions of the rate constants by using thermokinetic parameters of reactants were researched, and the reliabilities of the predicted activation free energies of XH/Y reactions were also examined.

Two Faces of the Bi−O Bond: Photochemically and Thermally Induced Dehydrocoupling for Si−O Bond Formation

The diorgano(bismuth)alcoholate [Bi((C₆H₄CH₂)₂S)OPh] (1‐OPh) has been synthesized and fully characterized. Stoichiometric reactions, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and (TD‐)DFT calculations suggest its susceptibility to homolytic and heterolytic Bi−O bond cleavage under given reaction conditions. Using the dehydrocoupling of silanes with either TEMPO or phenol as model reactions, the catalytic competency of 1‐OPh has been investigated (TEMPO=(tetramethyl‐piperidin‐1‐yl)‐oxyl). Different reaction pathways can deliberately be addressed by applying photochemical or thermal reaction conditions and by choosing radical or closed‐shell substrates (TEMPO vs. phenol). Applied analytical techniques include NMR, UV/Vis, and EPR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis, and (TD)‐DFT calculations.

Expanding the spectrum of polydopamine antioxidant activity by nitroxide conjugation

Polydopamine (PDA) materials are important due to their unique physicochemical properties and their potential as chemopreventive agents for diseases connected with oxidative stress. Although PDA has been suggested to display antioxidant activity, its efficacy is controversial and its mechanism of action is still unclear. Herein, we report that accurately purified PDA nanoparticles in water at pH 7.4 are unable to quench alkylperoxyls (ROO˙), which are the radicals responsible for the propagation of lipid peroxidation, despite PDA reacting with the model DPPH˙ and ABTS˙⁺ radicals. PDA nanoparticles prepared by copolymerization of dopamine with the dialkyl nitroxide 4-NH₂TEMPO show instead good antioxidant activity, thanks to the ROO˙ trapping ability of the nitroxide. Theoretical calculations performed on a quinone-catechol dimer, reproducing the structural motive of PDA, indicate a reactivity with ROO˙ similar to catechol. These results suggest that PDA nanoparticles have an "onion-like" structure, with a catechol-rich core, which can be reached only by DPPH˙ and ABTS˙⁺, and a surface mainly represented by quinones. The importance of assessing the antioxidant activity by inhibited autoxidation studies is also discussed.

Methods to Determine Chain-Breaking Antioxidant Activity of Nanomaterials beyond DPPH•. A Review

This review highlights the progress made in recent years in understanding the mechanism of action of nanomaterials with antioxidant activity and in the chemical methods used to evaluate their activity. Nanomaterials represent one of the most recent frontiers in the research for improved antioxidants, but further development is hampered by a poor characterization of the ''antioxidant activity'' property and by using oversimplified chemical methods. Inhibited autoxidation experiments provide valuable information about the interaction with the most important radicals involved in the lipid oxidation, namely alkylperoxyl and hydroperoxyl radicals, and demonstrate unambiguously the ability to stop the oxidation of organic materials. It is proposed that autoxidation methods should always complement (and possibly replace) the use of assays based on the quenching of stable radicals (such as DPPH• and ABTS•+). The mechanisms leading to the inhibition of the autoxidation (sacrificial and catalytic radical trapping antioxidant activity) are described in the context of nanoantioxidants. Guidelines for the selection of the appropriate testing conditions and of meaningful kinetic analysis are also given.

Nitroxides as Building Blocks for Nanoantioxidants

Nitroxides are an important class of radical trapping antioxidants whose promising biological activities are connected to their ability to scavenge peroxyl (ROO^•) radicals. We have measured the rate constants of the reaction with ROO^• (k_inh) for a series of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) derivatives as 5.1 × 10⁶, 1.1 × 10⁶, 5.4 × 10⁵, 3.7 × 10⁵, 1.1 × 10⁵, 1.9 × 10⁵, and 5.6 × 10⁴ M^-1 s^-1 for -H, -OH, -NH₂, -COOH, -NHCOCH₃, -CONH(CH₂)₃CH₃, and ═O substituents in the 4 position, with a good Marcus relationship between log (k_inh) and E° for the R₂NO^•/R₂NO⁺ couple. Newly synthesized Pluronic-silica nanoparticles (PluS) having nitroxide moieties covalently bound to the silica surface (PluS-NO) through a TEMPO-CONH-R link and coumarin dyes embedded in the silica core, has k_inh = 1.5 × 10⁵ M^-1 s^-1. Each PluS-bound nitroxide displays an inhibition duration nearly double that of a structurally related "free" nitroxide. As each PluS-NO particle bears an average of 30 nitroxide units, this yields an overall ≈60-fold larger inhibition of the PluS-NO nanoantioxidant compared to the molecular analogue. The implications of these results for the development of novel nanoantioxidants based on nitroxide derivatives are discussed, such as the choice of the best linkage group and the importance of the regeneration cycle in determining the duration of inhibition.

Autoxidation vs. antioxidants - the fight for forever

Autoxidation limits the longevity of essentially all hydrocarbons and materials made therefrom - including us. The radical chain reaction responsible often leads to complex mixtures of hydroperoxides, alkyl peroxides, alcohols, carbonyls and carboxylic acids, which change the physical properties of the material - be it a lubricating oil or biological membrane. Autoxidation is inhibited by addtitives such as radical-trapping antioxidants, which intervene directly in the chain reaction. Herein we review the most salient features of autoxidation and its inhibition, emphasizing concepts and mechanistic considerations important in understanding this chemistry across the wide range of contexts in which it is relevant.

Hydrogen Atom Transfer from HOO. to ortho-Quinones Explains the Antioxidant Activity of Polydopamine

Melanins are stable and non-toxic biomaterials with a great potential as chemopreventive agents for diseases connected with oxidative stress, but the mechanism of their antioxidant action is unclear. Herein, we show that polydopamine (PDA), a well-known synthetic melanin, becomes an excellent trap for alkylperoxyl radicals (ROO. , typically formed during autoxidation of lipid substrates) in the presence of hydroperoxyl radicals (HOO. ). The key reaction explaining this peculiar antioxidant activity is the reduction of the ortho-quinone moieties present in PDA by the reaction with HOO. . This reaction occurs via a H-atom transfer mechanism, as demonstrated by the large kinetic solvent effect of the reaction of a model quinone (3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone) with HOO. (k=1.5×107 and 1.1×105  M-1  s-1 in PhCl and MeCN). The chemistry disclosed herein is an important step to rationalize the redox-mediated bioactivity of melanins and of quinones.

Mechanism of Electrochemical Generation and Decomposition of Phthalimide-N-oxyl

Phthalimide N-oxyl (PINO) is a potent hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) catalyst that can be generated electrochemically from N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI). However, catalyst decomposition has limited its application. This paper details mechanistic studies of the generation and decomposition of PINO under electrochemical conditions. Voltammetric data, observations from bulk electrolysis, and computational studies suggest two primary aspects. First, base-promoted formation of PINO from NHPI occurs via multiple-site concerted proton-electron transfer (MS-CPET). Second, PINO decomposition occurs by at least two second-order paths, one of which is greatly enhanced by base. Optimal catalytic efficiency in PINO-catalyzed oxidations occurs in the presence of bases whose corresponding conjugate acids have pK_a's in the range of ∼11-15, which strikes a balance between promoting PINO formation and minimizing its decay.

Temperature-Dependent Effects of Alkyl Substitution on Diarylamine Antioxidant Reactivity

Alkylated diphenylamines are among the most efficacious radical-trapping antioxidants (RTAs) for applications at elevated temperatures since they are able to trap multiple radical equivalents due to catalytic cycles involving persistent diphenylnitroxide and diphenylaminyl radical intermediates. We have previously shown that some heterocyclic diarylamine RTAs possess markedly greater efficacy than typical alkylated diphenylamines, and herein, report on our efforts to identify optimal alkyl substitution of the scaffold, which we had found to be the ideal compromise between reactivity and stability. Interestingly, the structure-activity relationships differ dramatically with temperature: para-alkyl substitution slightly increased reactivity and stoichiometry at 37 and 100 °C due to more favorable (stereo)electronic effects and corresponding diarylaminyl/diarylnitroxide formation, while ortho-alkyl substitution slightly decreased both reactivity and stoichiometry. No such trends were evident at 160 °C; instead, the compounds were segregated into two groups based on the presence/absence of benzylic C-H bonds. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy indicates that increased efficacy was associated with lesser diarylnitroxide formation, and deuterium-labeling suggests that this is due to abstraction of the benzylic H atom, precluding nitroxide formation. Computations predict that this reaction path is competitive with established fates of the diarylaminyl radical, thereby minimizing the formation of off-cycle products and leading to significant gains in high-temperature RTA efficacy.

Synergic antioxidant activity of γ-terpinene with phenols and polyphenols enabled by hydroperoxyl radicals

Antioxidant interactions of γ-terpinene with α-tocopherol mimic 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-chromanol (PMHC) and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), used as models, respectively, of mono- and poly-phenols were demonstrated by differential oximetry during the inhibited autoxidation of model substrates: stripped sunflower oil, squalene, and styrene. With all substrates, γ-terpinene acts synergistically regenerating the chain-breaking antioxidants PMHC and CAPE from their radicals, via the formation of hydroperoxyl radicals. The inhibition duration for mixtures PMHC/γ-terpinene and CAPE/γ-terpinene increased with γ-terpinene concentration, while rate constants for radical-trapping were unchanged by γ-terpinene, being 3.1 × 10⁶ and 4.8 × 10⁵ M^-1s^-1 for PMHC and CAPE in chlorobenzene (30 °C). Using 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-1,2-bezoquinone we demonstrate that γ-terpinene can reduce quinones to catechols enabling their antioxidant activity. The different synergy mechanism of γ-terpinene with mono- and poly-phenolic antioxidants is discussed and its relevance is proven in homogenous lipids using natural α-tocopherol and hydroxytyrosol as antioxidants, calling for further studies in heterogenous food products.