Calculation of Ionization Potentials and C−H Bond Dissociation Energies of Toluene Derivatives

Unveiling an unexpected superoxide-mediated photooxidation mechanism of squalene monohydroperoxides to squalene hydroperoxy cyclic peroxides through ESR and LC-MS/MS analyses

Lipid cyclic peroxides are a rarely reported and documented class of compounds in the human organism. Recently, we reported the formation of squalene (SQ) hydroperoxy cyclic peroxides derived from SQ monohydroperoxide isomers (SQ-OOHs) for the first time. Notably, we successfully detected and quantified cis-2-OOH-3-(1,2-dioxane)-SQ in the human skin. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism governing the formation of these compounds remained elusive. Therefore, in the current study, we set to determine the reaction's mechanism. To this end, a comprehensive analysis of the precise conditions involved in the onset and propagation of this conversion was carried out by oxidizing total SQ-OOHs under different conditions, including singlet oxygen (1O2), thermal, and photoinduced oxidations monitored by quantifying the generated 2-OOH-3-(1,2-dioxane)-SQ using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Radical intermediates were thoroughly investigated using Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) with the aid of spin traps and radical references. Moreover, calculations of SQ-OOHs' electrostatic charges were performed on Spartan 18 software. We found that the reaction is ideally induced and favored under photooxidation in the presence of 3O2 in hexane, and that superoxide radical (O2•-) is the first key intermediate in this mechanism, whereas peroxyl radicals were the major species observed throughout the oxidation. Chemical calculations provided an explanation for the targeting of tertiary SQ-OOHs by this reaction and gave further evidence on the proposed heterolytic cleavage initiating the reaction. The novel oxidation mechanism suggested herein offers new insights into understanding lipid secondary oxidation and is a promising finding for further studying lipid cyclic peroxides in general.

Experimental and Computational Study of the Antioxidative Potential of Novel Nitro and Amino Substituted Benzimidazole/Benzothiazole-2-Carboxamides with Antiproliferative Activity

We present the synthesis of a range of benzimidazole/benzothiazole-2-carboxamides with a variable number of methoxy and hydroxy groups, substituted with nitro, amino, or amino protonated moieties, which were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity in vitro and the antioxidant capacity. Antiproliferative features were tested on three human cancer cells, while the antioxidative activity was measured using 1,1-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Trimethoxy substituted benzimidazole-2-carboxamide 8 showed the most promising antiproliferative activity (IC₅₀ = 0.6–2.0 µM), while trihydroxy substituted benzothiazole-2-carboxamide 29 was identified as the most promising antioxidant, being significantly more potent than the reference butylated hydroxytoluene BHT in both assays. Moreover, the latter also displays antioxidative activity in tumor cells. The measured antioxidative capacities were rationalized through density functional theory (DFT) calculations, showing that 29 owes its activity to the formation of two [O•∙∙∙H–O] hydrogen bonds in the formed radical. Systems 8 and 29 were both chosen as lead compounds for further optimization of the benzazole-2-carboxamide scaffold in order to develop more efficient antioxidants and/or systems with the antiproliferative activity.

Radical Scavenging Activity of Natural-Based Cassaine Diterpenoid Amides and Amines

The radical scavenging capacities of four new cassaine diterpenoid amides including 3β-hydroxydinorerythrosuamide (1), 3β-acetoxydinorerythrosuamide (2), 3β-tigloyloxydinorerythrosuamide (3), and 6α-hydroxydinorcassamide (4) present in leaf extract and four new cassaine diterpenoid amines namely erythroformine A (5), erythroformine B (6), 6α-hydroxy-nor-cassamine (7), and nor-erythrosuamine (8) recently identified in the extract of the bark of Erythrophleum fordii were elucidated using density functional theory (DFT) method. Different thermochemical properties characterizing antioxidant potential including bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE), proton affinity (PA), and adiabatic ionization potential (IP) were calculated at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. Scavenging reaction mechanisms of cassaine diterpenes toward HOO^• radical including formal hydrogen transfer (FHT; either hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) or proton coupled electron transfer (PCET)), radical adduct formation (RAF), single electron transfer (SET), and proton transfer (PT) were studied in the gas phase, water, and benzene. The potential energy profiles and kinetic calculations for the FHT and RAF reactions were calculated at 298.15 K. The results showed that all the studied compounds present strong antioxidant activity via HAT mechanism with BDEs varying from 69.4 to 77.9 kcal/mol. While solvents have only a slight effect on HAT and RAF mechanisms, SET and PT reactions are likely to occur in polar media. Among the studied compounds, 3 is the most reactive one both for HAT (H-abstraction at C7, Δ H -11.3 kcal/mol) and for RAF (radical addition at C13 = C15 bond, Δ H -5.2 kcal/mol) reactions. The rate constants of these reactions are also comparable with several referenced antioxidants such as Trolox and ascorbic acid.

Electrochemical strategies for C-H functionalization and C-N bond formation

Conventional methods for carrying out carbon-hydrogen functionalization and carbon-nitrogen bond formation are typically conducted at elevated temperatures, and rely on expensive catalysts as well as the use of stoichiometric, and perhaps toxic, oxidants. In this regard, electrochemical synthesis has recently been recognized as a sustainable and scalable strategy for the construction of challenging carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Here, electrosynthesis has proven to be an environmentally benign, highly effective and versatile platform for achieving a wide range of nonclassical bond disconnections via generation of radical intermediates under mild reaction conditions. This review provides an overview on the use of anodic electrochemical methods for expediting the development of carbon-hydrogen functionalization and carbon-nitrogen bond formation strategies. Emphasis is placed on methodology development and mechanistic insight and aims to provide inspiration for future synthetic applications in the field of electrosynthesis.

N-Hydroxyphthalimide-Mediated Electrochemical Iodination of Methylarenes and Comparison to Electron-Transfer-Initiated C-H Functionalization

An electrochemical method has been developed for selective benzylic iodination of methylarenes. The reactions feature the first use of N-hydroxyphthalimide as an electrochemical mediator for C-H oxidation to nonoxygenated products. The method provides the basis for direct (in situ) or sequential benzylation of diverse nucleophiles using methylarenes as the alkylating agent. The hydrogen-atom transfer mechanism for C-H iodination allows C-H oxidation to proceed with minimal dependence on the substrate electronic properties and at electrode potentials 0.5-1.2 V lower than that of direct electrochemical C-H oxidation.

HOMOLYTIC C–H BOND DISSOCIATION ENERGIES OF HTPB BINDER NETWORK

The C – H bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binder have been computed using ab initio and density functional theory methods. Five different HTPB carbon radicals were produced by the ruptures of different C – H bonds. The structural analysis of radicals and the calculated BDEs showed that the studied C – H bonds could be divided into three groups. It was found that the weakest C – H bonds were those on the tertiary carbon atom linked to a vinyl function. The next were those on the secondary carbon attached to a vinyl function. The dissociation of these two kinds of C – H bonds determines the structure of the ultimate products during the aging of HTPB binder. The most stable C – H bonds were those in the methylene that were attached to the saturated carbon atoms.

Antioxidant behavior of mearnsetin and myricetin flavonoid compounds--a DFT study

The molecular characteristics of two naturally occurring flavonoid compounds mearnsetin and myricetin have been computed using density functional theory (DFT) approach with B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. The computation and analysis of bond dissociation enthalpy magnitudes for all the OH sites for both the compounds clearly denotes the contribution of the B-ring for the antioxidant activity. The analysis has also indicated the higher values of BDE on the C5-OH radical species in both the compounds. The computed vibrational frequency analysis indicates the absence of imaginary frequency in the neutral as well as radical species of both the flavonoid compounds. The ionisation potential (IP) analysis was found to be within the range of the IP of synthetic food additives. In addition, various molecular descriptors such as electron affinity, hardness, softness, electronegativity, electrophilic index have also been calculated and the validity of Koopman's theorem is verified. The plot of frontier molecular orbital and spin density distribution analysis for neutral and the corresponding radical species for both the compounds have been computed and interpreted. The polar nature and their polarizing capacity are well established through the analysis of dipole moment and polarisability magnitudes.

Scales of oxidation potentials, pK(a), and BDE of various hydroquinones and catechols in DMSO

The one-electron oxidation potentials [E(ox)(NHE)(H(2)Q)], pK(a) (pK(a1) and pK(a2)) values, and bond dissociation energies (BDE(1) and BDE(2)) of 118 important p- and o-dihydroquinones in DMSO were systematically predicted for the first time by using DFT method and the PCM cluster continuum model. The calculated results agree well with the available experimental determinations. The study shows that all the five thermodynamic parameters correlate well with the Hammett substituent parameters σ(p) (for p-H(2)Q, E(ox)(NHE)(H(2)Q(·+)/H(2)Q) = 1.66Σσ(p) + 0.54, pK(a1) = -5.69Σσ(p) + 16.54, pK(a2) = -5.19Σσ(p) + 23.91, BDE(1) = 3.43Σσ(p) + 82.29, BDE(2) = 4.64Σσ(p) + 67.70 and for o-H(2)Q, E(ox)(NHE)(H(2)Q(·+)/H(2)Q) = 1.85Σσ(p) + 0.46, pK(a1) = -5.53Σσ(p) + 13.28, pK(a2) = -5.24Σσ(p) + 26.70, BDE(1) = 3.54Σσ(p) + 82.08, BDE(2) = 3.82Σσ(p) + 75.93), which hints that we can get these thermodynamic parameters as long as the structure of the hydroquinones were known. The comparisons of the calculated five thermodynamic parameters between p-hydroquinones and o-hydroquinones and the number of the phenyl ring effects on these thermodynamic parameters were also studied. At last, intramolecular hydrogen bond energies in hydroquinones at neutral, radical cation, radical, anion different state were systematically calculated and analyzed. Combined with the papers published in our group before, we will have a systematic thermodynamic picture of the transfer details between different kinds of quinones and corresponding hydroquinones, which strongly promote the fast development of the understanding and applications of quinones.

Theoretical insights, in the liquid phase, into the antioxidant mechanism-related parameters in the 2-monosubstituted phenols

The paper describes a DFT/B3LYP study, in the liquid phase, [using the PCM continuum model] on the O-H bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE) and ionization energy (IE) parameter values of the 2-monosubstituted phenols (2-X-ArOH), related to the H-atom transfer (HAT) and single-electron transfer (SET) mechanisms. The solvent and substituent effects on the conformers, the BDEs, and the IEs were studied using four electron-donating (EDG) and five electron-withdrawing (EWG) groups, in seven different solvents. In both the EDG- and/or EWG-substituted species of the parent compounds, radicals, and/or cation radicals, the most stable conformer is varied, depending on the medium and the substitution. The EWG-substituents increase IEs, resulting in a weaker antioxidant activity than the EDG ones; the effect appears stronger on the IEs than on BDEs. However, although the liquid-phase IEs, which are related to solution-phase oxidation potentials, decrease with the polarity and/or the hydrogen-bonding ability of the solvent, the opposite holds true for the BDEs, exhibiting a weaker effect. The gas-phase-calculated IE for benzene is among the most accurate ones in the field, compared to the experiment, that for phenol being the most accurate. In addition, calculated IEs for the 2-X-ArOH are in close agreement with the very few existing experimental ones. It is shown that the oxidation potentials are (a) highly correlated with the gas-phase ones, and (b) strongly solvent dependent. The stabilization/destabilization of the cation radical (SPC) contribution, in all media, is the decisive factor in the DeltaIE calculation. The reasonable correlations found between the DeltaBDE and DeltaIE could account well for the assumption of the simultaneous action of both mechanisms in the 2-X-ArOH, in both the gas and the liquid phase. It seems, however, that the presence of a particular solvent by itself is not sufficient enough for the HAT to SET transition. The involvement of specific ED and/or EW groups in the 2-X-ArOH seems also necessary. It appears that our theoretical approach is not only generally applicable to the set of substituents important to antioxidant activity but also useful in (a) the rational design of phenolic antioxidants and (b) affording accurate BDE and IE parameter values related to both possible antioxidant mechanisms.

A Density Functional Theory Study of the 5-Exo Cyclization Reactions of α-Substituted 6,6-Diphenyl-5-hexenyl Radicals

Density functional theory computations were done to study the 5-exo radical cyclization reactions of alpha-substituted 6,6-diphenyl-5-hexenyl radicals. The methoxy electron donor group substitution reduced the barrier to reaction by about 0.5 kcal/mol. On the other hand, the electron acceptor group substitutions (ethoxycarbonyl, carboxylic acid, carboxylate, and cyano) raised the barrier to reaction by varying amounts (0.5-2.1 kcal /mol). The entropic terms of these cyclization reactions are briefly discussed. Solvent effects on these reactions were explored by calculations that included a polarizable continuum model for the solvent. The density functional theory calculated results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data available in the literature and help to explain some of the observed variation in these types of cyclization reactions with various substitutions. Our results also provide an explanation for why the rate constant for the carboxylate group substituted radical was found to be an order of magnitude smaller than the rate constant for those radicals with carboxylic acid and ethoxycarbonyl substitutions.

Quantum-Chemical Predictions of Absolute Standard Redox Potentials of Diverse Organic Molecules and Free Radicals in Acetonitrile

A calibrated B3LYP/6-311++G(2df,2p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d) method was found to be able to predict the gas-phase adiabatic ionization potentials of 160 structurally unrelated organic molecules with a precision of 0.14 eV. A PCM solvation model was benchmarked that could predict the pK(a)'s of 15 organic acids in acetonitrile with a precision of 1.0 pK(a) unit. Combining the above two methods, we developed a generally applicable protocol that could successfully predict the standard redox potentials of 270 structurally unrelated organic molecules in acetonitrile. The standard deviation of the predictions was 0.17 V. The study demonstrated that computational electrochemistry could become a powerful tool for the organic chemical community. It also confirmed that the continuum solvation theory could correctly predict the solvation energies of organic radicals. Finally, with the help of the newly developed protocol we were able to establish a scale of standard redox potentials for diverse types of organic free radicals for the first time. Knowledge about these redox potentials should be of great value for understanding the numerous electron-transfer reactions in organic and bioorganic chemistry.

Mechanisms of Hydrogen-, Oxygen-, and Electron-Transfer Reactions of Cumylperoxyl Radical

Rates of hydrogen-transfer reactions from a series of para-substituted N,N-dimethylanilines to cumylperoxyl radical and oxygen-transfer reactions from cumylperoxyl radical to a series of sulfides and phosphines have been determined in propionitrile (EtCN) and pentane at low temperatures by use of ESR. The observed rate constants exhibit first-order and second-order dependence with respect to concentrations of N,N-dimethylanilines. This indicates that the hydrogen- and oxygen-transfer reactions proceed via 1:1 charge-transfer (CT) complexes formed between the substrates and cumylperoxyl radical. The primary kinetic isotope effects are determined by comparing the rates of N,N-dimethylanilines and the corresponding N,N-bis(trideuteriomethyl)anilines. The isotope effect profiles are quite different from those reported for the P-450 model oxidation of the same series of substrates. Rates of electron-transfer reactions from ferrocene derivatives to cumylperoxyl radical have also been determined by use of ESR. The catalytic effects of Sc(OTf)(3) (OTf = triflate) on the electron-transfer reactions are compared with those of Sc(OTf)(3) on the hydrogen- and oxygen-transfer reactions. Such comparison provides strong evidence that the hydrogen- and oxygen- transfer reactions of cumylperoxyl radical proceed via a one-step hydrogen atom and oxygen atom transfer rather than via an electron transfer from substrates to cumylperoxyl radical.

Remote substituent effects on homolytic bond dissociation energies

In the study we tried to answer two questions. First, does X-Z homolytic bond dissociation energy (BDE) of Y-C6H4-X-Z obey the Hammett relationship? Second, if it does what factors determine the magnitude and sign of the slope (rho+) of Hammett regression against substituent sigma(p)(+) constants? We collected a large number of X-Z BDEs for over one-thousand Y-C6H4-X-Z systems using the RMP2/6-311++G**//UB3LYP/6-31G* method. We found that remote substituent effects on X-Z BDEs are determined by both the ground effect (i.e. stabilization/destabilization of X-Z by the substituents) and the radical effect (i.e. stabilization/destabilization of X. by the substituents). The ground or radical effect is determined by the electron demand of X-Z or X. in the same way as the deprotonation enthalpy of HOOC-C6H4-X-Z or HOOC-C6H4-X. is affected by X-Z or X. . As a result, rho+ (BDE) for X-Z bond homolysis can be quantitatively predicted by using the change in deprotonation enthalpy from HOOC-C6H4-X-Z to HOOC-C6H4-X. .

Remote substituent effects on N-X (X = H, F, Cl, CH3, Li) bond dissociation energies in para-substituted anilines

UB3LYP/6-311++g**//UB3LYP/6-31+g* and ROMP2/6-311++g**//UB3LYP/6-31+g* methods were used to calculate (i) N-X bond dissociation energies (BDE) in 4-YC6H4NH-X and (ii) N-H BDEs in 4-YC6H4NU-H, where Y = H, Me, OCH3, SMe, NH2, NMe2, SiMe3, F, Cl, CN, COOH, CF3, and NO2, X = H, CH3, F, Cl, and Li, and U = H, F, and CH(3). It was found that N-H BDEs of 4-YC6H4NH2 have a positive correlation with the substituent sigma(p+) constants. The slope (rho+) is about 3.0-4.3 kcal/mol, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. It was also found that the substituent effects on N-X BDEs of 4-YC6H4NH-X change considerably when X changes. rho(+)values for N-CH3, N-F, N-Cl, and N-Li BDEs were calculated to be 3.1-4.6, 1.3-1.9, 1.8-2.6, and 4.9-6.8 kcal/mol, respectively. The reason for the variation of substituent effects was proposed to be the ground-state effect, i.e., the interaction between the intact NH-X moiety and the parasubstituents. Finally, alpha-substitution was found to be able to significantly change the substituent effects. rho(+)values for N-H BDEs of 4-C6H4NCH3(-)H and 4-C6H4NF-H are 2.5-4.0 and 1.7-1.9 kcal/mol, respectively.

Remote substituent effects on bond dissociation energies of para-substituted aromatic silanes

UB3LYP/6-31G(d) and ROMP2/6-311++G(d,2p) methods were used to calculate the Si-X bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of a number of para-substituted aromatic silanes (4-Y-C(6)H(4)-SiH(2)X, where X = H, F, Cl, or Li). It was found that the substituent effect on the Si-H BDE of 4-Y-C(6)H(4)-SiH(3) was small, as the slope (rho(+)()) of the BDE- regression was only 0.09 kJ/mol. In comparison, the substituent effect on the Si-F BDE of 4-Y-C(6)H(4)-SiH(2)F was much stronger, whose rho(+ )()value was -2.34 kJ/mol. The substituent effect on the Si-Cl BDE of 4-Y-C(6)H(4)-SiH(2)Cl was also found to be strong with a rho(+)() value of -1.70 kJ/mol. However, the substituent effect on the Si-Li BDE of 4-Y-C(6)H(4)-SiH(2)Li was found to have a large and positive slope (+9.12 kJ/mol) against. The origin of the above remarkably different substituent effects on the Si-X BDEs was found to be associated with the ability of the substituent to stabilize or destabilize the starting material (4-Y-C(6)H(4)-SiH(2)X) as well as the product (4-Y-C(6)H(4)-SiH(2)* radical) of the homolysis. Therefore, the direction and magnitude of the effects of Y-substituents on the Z-X BDEs in compounds such as 4-YC(6)H(4)Z-X should have some important dependence on the polarity of the Z-X bond undergoing homolysis. This conclusion was in agreement with that from earlier studies (for example, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1991, 113, 9363). However, it indicated that the proposal from a recent work (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 5518) was unfortunately not justified.

Predicting the activity of phenolic antioxidants: theoretical method, analysis of substituent effects, and application to major families of antioxidants

A procedure based on density functional theory is used for the calculation of the gas-phase bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE) and ionization potential for molecules belonging to the class of phenolic antioxidants. We show that use of locally dense basis sets (LDBS) vs full basis sets gives very similar results for monosubstituted phenols, and that the LDBS procedure gives good agreement with the change in experimental BDE values for highly substituted phenols in benzene solvent. Procedures for estimating the O--H BDE based on group additivity rules are given and tested. Several interesting classes of phenolic antioxidants are studied with these methods, including commercial antioxidants used as food additives, compounds related to Vitamin E, flavonoids in tea, aminophenols, stilbenes related to resveratrol, and sterically hindered phenols. On the basis of these results we are able to interpret relative rates for the reaction of antioxidants with free radicals, including a comparison of both H-atom-transfer and single-electron-transfer mechanisms, and conclude that in most cases H-atom transfer will be dominant.

Theoretical calculation of ionization potentials for disubstituted benzenes: additivity vs non-additivity of substituent effects

The ionization potentials of 55 para- and 55 meta-disubstituted benzenes, consisting of all binary combinations of electron-withdrawing groups (-NO2, -CF3, -CHO, -COOH) and electron-donating groups (-Cl, -CH3, -OH, -OCH3, -NH2, and -N(CH3)2) have been calculated using density functional theory with the B3LYP functional and a 6-31G(d) basis set. Relative ionization potentials (delta IP), referred to benzene, are compared with experimental values and shown to be in good agreement. The disubstituted data were correlated with monosubstituted delta IP data and shown to require quadratic terms in order to achieve a good fit; the validity of this conclusion was possible due to the low scatter in the calculated data. A simple MO analysis gives a semiquantitative interpretation of the observed trends in substitutent effects, including a discussion of combinations of substituents for which nonadditivity should be expected.