Photooxidation of diglycine in confined media. Application of the microreactor model for spin-correlated radical pairs in reverse micelles and water-in-oil microemulsions

Theoretical description of spin-selective reactions of radical pairs diffusing in spherical 2D and 3D microreactors

In this work, we treat spin-selective recombination of a geminate radical pair (RP) in a spherical "microreactor," i.e., of a RP confined in a micelle, vesicle, or liposome. We consider the microreactor model proposed earlier, in which one of the radicals is located at the center of the micelle and the other one undergoes three-dimensional diffusion inside the micelle. In addition, we suggest a two-dimensional model, in which one of the radicals is located at the "pole" of the sphere, while the other one diffuses on the spherical surface. For this model, we have obtained a general analytical expression for the RP recombination yield in terms of the free Green function of two-dimensional diffusion motion. In turn, this Green function is expressed via the Legendre functions and thus takes account of diffusion over a restricted spherical surface and its curvature. The obtained expression allows one to calculate the RP recombination efficiency at an arbitrary magnetic field strength. We performed a comparison of the two models taking the same geometric parameters (i.e., the microreactor radius and the closest approach distance of the radicals), chemical reactivity, magnetic interactions in the RP and diffusion coefficient. Significant difference between the predictions of the two models is found, which is thus originating solely from the dimensionality effect: for different dimensionality of space, the statistics of diffusional contacts of radicals becomes different altering the reaction yield. We have calculated the magnetic field dependence of the RP reaction yield and chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization of the reaction products at different sizes of the microreactor, exchange interaction, and spin relaxation rates. Interestingly, due to the intricate interplay of diffusional contacts of reactants and spin dynamics, the dependence of the reaction yield on the microreactor radius is non-monotonous. Our results are of importance for (i) interpreting experimental data for magnetic field effects on RP recombination in confined space and (ii) for describing kinetics of chemical reactions, which occur predominantly on the surfaces of biomembranes, i.e., lipid peroxidation reactions.

Electrostatic control of spin exchange between mobile spin-correlated radical pairs created in micellar solutions

A series of photoinduced H-atom abstraction reactions between anthraquinone-2,6,-disulfonate, disodium salt (AQDS) and differently charged micellar substrates is presented. After a 248 nm excimer laser flash, the first excited triplet state of AQDS is rapidly formed and then quenched by abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the alkyl chain of the micelle surfactant, leading to a spin-correlated radical pair (SCRP). The SCRP is detected 500 ns after the laser flash using time-resolved (direct detection) electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) spectroscopy at X-band (9.5 GHz). By changing the charge on the surfactant headgroup from negative (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) to positive (dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, DTAC), TREPR spectra with different degrees of antiphase structure (APS) in their line shape were observed. The first derivative-like APS line shape is the signature of an SCRP experiencing an electron spin exchange interaction between the radical centers, which was clearly observable in DTAC micelles and absent in SDS micellar solutions. Solutions with surfactant concentrations well below the critical micelle concentration (cmc) or solutions where micellar formation had been disrupted (1:1 v/v CH(3)CN/H(2)O) also showed no APS line shapes in their TREPR spectra. These results support the conclusion that electrostatic forces between the sensitizer (AQDS) charge and the substrate (surfactant) headgroup charge are responsible for the observed effects. The results represent a new example of electrostatic control of a spin exchange interaction in mobile radical pairs.

Photoactive Peptides for Light-Initiated Tyrosyl Radical Generation and Transport into Ribonucleotide Reductase

The mechanism of radical transport in the alpha2 (R1) subunit of class I E. coli ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) has been investigated by the phototriggered generation of a tyrosyl radical, *Y356, on a 20-mer peptide bound to alpha2. This peptide, Y-R2C19, is identical to the C-terminal peptide tail of the beta2 (R2) subunit and is a known competitive inhibitor of binding of the native beta2 protein to alpha2. *Y356 radical initiation is prompted by excitation (lambda >or= 300 nm) of a proximal anthraquinone, Anq, or benzophenone, BPA, chromophore on the peptide. Transient absorption spectroscopy has been employed to kinetically characterize the radical-producing step by time resolving the semiquinone anion (Anq*-), ketyl radical (*-BPA), and Y* photoproducts on (i) BPA-Y and Anq-Y dipeptides and (ii) BPA/Anq-Y-R2C19 peptides. Light-initiated, single-turnover assays have been carried out with the peptide/alpha2 complex in the presence of [14C]-labeled cytidine 5'-diphosphate substrate and ATP allosteric effector. We show that both the Anq- and BPA-containing peptides are competent in deoxycytidine diphosphate formation and turnover occurs via Y731 to Y730 to C439 pathway-dependent radical transport in alpha2. Experiments with the Y730F mutant exclude a direct superexchange mechanism between C439 and Y731 and are consistent with a PCET model for radical transport in which there is a unidirectional transport of the electron and proton transport among residues of alpha2.

Photoredox chemistry of AOT: electron transfer and hydrogen abstraction in microemulsions involving the surfactant

Time-resolved magnetic resonance experiments (TREPR and CIDNP) are used to investigate previously unobserved redox chemistry of the surfactant dioctyl sulfosuccinate ester (AOT) using the photoexcited triplet state of anthraquinone 2,6-disulfonate (3AQDS*). Several different free radicals resulting from two independent oxidation pathways (electron transfer and hydrogen abstraction) are observed. These include the radical ions of AQDS and sulfite from electron-transfer processes, carbon-centered radicals from H-atom abstraction reactions, and an additional carbon-centered radical formed by electron transfer from the AOT sulfonate head group followed by the loss of SO3. The radicals exhibit intense chemically induced dynamic electron spin polarization (CIDEP) in their TREPR spectra. The intensity ratios of the observed TREPR signals for each radical depend on the water pool size and temperature, which in turn affect the predominant CIDEP mechanism. All signal carriers are accounted for by simulation, and CIDNP results provide strong supporting evidence for the assignments.

Spin-Polarized Peroxyl Radical Adducts Formed from the Addition of Oxygen to Amino Acid Radicals

[Structure: see text] Peroxyl radicals formed from the addition of oxygen to carbon radicals of N-acetyl glycine, serine, and diglycine are directly observed at room temperature via time-resolved EPR spectroscopy. Isotopic labeling confirms the identity of the N-acetyl glycine and diglycine peroxyl analogues. The peroxyl radicals show unusually strong chemically induced electron spin polarization which is discussed in terms of the radical pair mechanism and spin polarization transfer processes.

Photo-oxidation of diglycine in confined media Relaxation of longitudinal magnetization in spin correlated radical pairs

Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance spectra (X-band) of correlated radical pairs created in AOT reverse micelles are presented and simulated using the microreactor model. They are discussed in terms of the two-site model with a particular emphasis on longitudinal relaxation mechanisms. The geminate radical pair is created by photo-oxidation of dyglicine by the excited triplet states of an anthraquinone salt. The strong chemically induced electron spin polarization observed is due to three mechanisms: TM, RPM, and SCRPM. Relative contributions from these mechanisms depend on the water pool volume and the time of observation. There are three types of longitudinal relaxation in radical pairs. The first is relaxation of the RPM induced longitudinal magnetization in spin correlated radical pairs. The second is the longitudinal relaxation in radical pairs which are not correlated (with a zero value of the double quantum coherence). In such pairs, the generation of longitudinal magnetization due to RPM is impossible, and the spin-selective recombination of the pairs is ineffective. Under all experimental conditions, the first type of relaxation is slower than the second type. For both, the physical mechanism leading to relaxation is modulation of the Heisenberg electron spin exchange interaction. This is an internal relaxation process. The third relaxation type occurs in radical pairs due to ordinary longitudinal relaxation in non-interacting radicals. Normally, relaxation of the third type is the slowest of the three. This explains time and micelle size dependence of the relative contribution of RPM into TREPR spectra. It seems reasonable to suggest that the creation of the initial spin state populations is partially adiabatic.

Enhanced Solubilization of Bovine Serum Albumin in Reverse Micelles by Compressed CO2

The effect of compressed CO2 on the solubilization of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in water/sodium bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane reverse micelles was studied by observing phase behavior and recording UV-visible spectra under different conditions. The pH values within the water cores of reverse micelles at different CO2 pressures were also determined. The solubilization capacity of the reverse micelles for the protein increased considerably as CO2 pressure increased within the low-pressure range, but decreased at higher CO2 pressures, so that the micelles eventually lost their ability to solubilize the protein. The effect of CO2 on the stability of the reverse micelles played an important role in the relationship between pressure and protein solubility. A "multicomplex" model was proposed to explain these effects. The different solublization capacities within different pressure ranges demonstrates the unique advantage of using compressed CO2 in the extraction of proteins with reverse micelles.