Autoxidation metals

In addition to enzymatic oxidation, flavonoid oxidation can take place via autoxidation (metal-catalyzed oxidation by dioxygen) and ROS scavenging. The former process can be related to flavonoid cytotoxicity (ROS production) while the latter is one of the main antioxidant mechanisms. Both processes may be modulated by flavonoid-protein binding. Although poorly documented so far, these points could be important and, for instance, albumin-flavonoid complexes with an affinity for LDL could act as the true plasma antioxidants participating in the regeneration of a-tocopherol from the a-tocopheryl radical formed... 

Later, by studying carefully the product patterns in the Udenfriend system and in a system in which hydrogen peroxide was reduced by the Fe /EDTA complex in the presence of ascorbate, it was postulated by Staudinger and Ullrich that besides hydroxyl radicals a second hydroxylation mechanisms must be present, which was characterized by a random distribution of phenolic products in contrast to the electrophilic pattern observed with OH radicals. This mechanism, called the oxenoid mechanism, was found in all systems consisting of autoxidizing metal ions, but hydroxyl radicals were usually the predominant hydroxylating species. 

Alcohol autoxidation is carried out in the range of 70—160°C and 1000—2000 kPa (10—20 atm). These conditions maintain the product and reactants as Hquids and are near optimum for practical hydrogen peroxide production rates. Several additives including acids, nitriles, stabHizers, and sequestered transition-metal oxides reportedly improve process economics. The product mixture, containing hydrogen peroxide, water, acetone, and residual isopropyl alcohol, is separated in a wiped film evaporator. The organics and water are taken overhead and further refined to recover by-product acetone and the... 

Another method for producing petoxycatboxyhc acids is by autoxidation of aldehydes (168). The reaction is a free-radical chain process, initiated by organic peroxides, uv irradiation, o2one, and various metal salts. It is terrninated by free-radical inhibitors (181,183). In certain cases, the petoxycatboxyhc acid forms an adduct with the aldehyde from which the petoxycatboxyhc acid can be hberated by heating or by acid hydrolysis. If the petoxycatboxyhc acid remains in contact with excess aldehyde, a redox disproportionation reaction occurs that forms a catboxyhc acid ... 

Drier Mechanism. Oxidative cross-linking may also be described as an autoxidation proceeding through four basic steps induction, peroxide formation, peroxide decomposition, and polymerization (5). The metals used as driers are categorized as active or auxiUary. However, these categories are arbitrary and a considerable amount of overlap exists between them. Drier systems generally contain two or three metals but can contain as many as five or more metals to obtain the desired drying performance. 

Table 7.5 Catalytic and deactivating effects of ligands on metal-catalysed autoxidation of petroleum. (After Pedersen )...

Pedersen on the effect of various chelating agents upon the autoxidation of petroleum (a useful model system) catalysed by various transition metals. The deactivating efficiency is the percentage restoration of the original induction period observed with a control sample of petroleum without metal or deactivator. Only iV" -tetrasalicylidenetetra(aminomethyl)methane was effective... 

Variable valence transition metal ions, such as Co VCo and Mn /Mn are able to catalyze hydrocarbon autoxidations by increasing the rate of chain initiation. Thus, redox reactions of the metal ions with alkyl hydroperoxides produce chain initiating alkoxy and alkylperoxy radicals (Fig. 6). Interestingly, aromatic percarboxylic acids, which are key intermediates in the oxidation of methylaromatics, were shown by Jones (ref. 10) to oxidize Mn and Co, to the corresponding p-oxodimer of Mn or Co , via a heterolytic mechanism (Fig. 6). 

As was noted by Jones (ref. 12) the success of a metal bromide as a catalyst for alkylaromatic autoxidations depends on the ability of the metal to transfer rapidly and efficiently oxidizing power from various autoxidation intermediates onto bromide ion in a manner which generates Br-. The fact that no free bromine is observable in this system is consistent with rapid reaction of intermediate bromine atoms with the substrate. Inhibition of the reaction by cupric salts can be explained by the rapid removal of Br2 or ArCH2- via one-electron oxidation by Cu (Fig. 10). 

In solution this reaction is rather rapid but in the solid state autoxidation takes place much slower. Nevertheless, commercial sulfides and polysulfides of the alkali and alkali earth metals usually contain thiosulfate (and anions of other sulfur oxoacids) as impurities [6]. For all these reasons the chemistry of polysulfides is rather complex, and some of the earlier studies on polysulfides (prior to ca. 1960) are not very rehable experimentally and/or describe erroneous interpretations of the experimental results. 

Cu(rr) compounds are frequently used in conjunction with Pd(I[) in the oxidation of olefins in the Wacker process. Their role has been viewed as that of catalyst for autoxidation of Pd metal back to Pd(II). Dozono and Shiba report the rate of oxidation of ethylene by a PdCl2-CuCl2 couple to be given by... 

Studies on carotenoid autoxidation have been performed with metals. Gao and Kispert proposed a mechanism by which P-carotene is transformed into 5,8-per-oxide-P Carotene, identified by LC-MS and H NMR, when it is in presence of ferric iron (0.2 eq) and air in methylene chloride. The P-carotene disappeared after 10 min of reaction and the mechanism implies oxidation of the carotenoid with ferric iron to produce the carotenoid radical cation and ferrous iron followed by the reaction of molecular oxygen on the carotenoid radical cation. Radical-initiated autoxidations of carotenoids have also been studied using either radical generators like or NBS.35... 

In conclusion, oxidation of carotenoids by molecular oxygen, the so-called autoxidation process, is a complex phenomenon that is probably initiated by an external factor (radical, metal, etc.) and for which different mechanisms have been proposed. The autoxidation of a carotenoid is important to take into account when studying antioxidant activity because it can lower the apparent antioxidant activity of a carotenoid. ... 

Are used to accelerate autoxidation and hardening of oxidisable coatings. Metal soaps, used as paint driers, can be made from a variety of carboxylic acids, including the commercially important naphthenic and 2-ethyl hexanoic acids, tall oil, fatty acids, neodecanoic and isononanoic acid. Cobalt is unquestionably the most active drier metal available. Metallic driers such as cobalt naphthenate or octoate and zinc salts can interact with UVAs, HALS, or AOs. 

Generation of a radical through an oxidative process probably occurs in the initiation of the autoxidation of benzaldehyde (p. 319), which is catalysed by a number of heavy metal ions capable of one-electron transfers, e.g. Fe3 ... 

Aldehydes, and particularly aromatic ones, are highly susceptible to autoxidation thus benzaldehyde (97) is rapidly converted into benzoic acid (98) in air at room temperature. This reaction is catalysed by light and the usual radical initiators, but is also highly susceptible to the presence of traces of metal ions that can act as one-electron oxidising agents (cf. p. 306), e.g. Fe3 , Co3 , etc ... 

The autoxidation of aldehydes, and of other organic compounds, may be lessened considerably by very careful purification—removal of existing peroxides, trace metal ions, etc.—but much more readily and effectively by the addition of suitable radical inhibitors, referred to in this context as anti-oxidants. The best of these are phenols and aromatic amines which have a readily abstractable H atom, the resultant radical is of relatively low reactivity, being able to act as a good chain terminator (by reaction with another radical) but only as a poor initiator (by reaction with a new substrate molecule). 

A. le Berre and P. Goasguen, Autoxidation of metal ketyls and related compounds. Compt. Rend. 254, 1306-1308 (1962). 

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