Aza-PAHs

The focus of the next four chapters (Chapters 14-17) is mainly on the theoretical/computational aspects. Chapter 14 by T. S. Sorensen and E. C. F. Yang examines the involvement of p-hydrido cation intermediates in the context of the industrially important heptane to toluene dehydrocyclization process. Chapter 15 by P. M. Esteves et al. is devoted to theoretical studies of carbonium ions. Chapter 16 by G. L. Borosky and K. K. Laali presents a computational study on aza-PAH carbocations as models for the oxidized metabolites of Aza-PAHs. Chapter 17 by S. C. Ammal and H. Yamataka examines the borderline Beckmann rearrangement-fragmentation mechanism and explores the influence of carbocation stability on the reaction mechanism. 

Model computational studies aimed at understanding structure-reactivity relationships and substituent effects on carbocation stability for aza-PAHs derivatives were performed by density functional theory (DFT). Comparisons were made with the biological activity data when available. Protonation of the epoxides and diol epoxides, and subsequent epoxide ring opening reactions were analyzed for several families of compounds. Bay-region carbocations were formed via the O-protonated epoxides in barrierless processes. Relative carbocation stabilities were determined in the gas phase and in water as solvent (by the PCM method). 

Considering the relevance of aza-PAHs in the elucidation of the mechanism of chemical carcinogenesis, our goal was to apply DFT methods to achieve a better understanding of the structural and electronic factors affecting the reactivity of this type of compounds. In this chapter we summarize our recent and ongoing computational studies in this field. 

Figure 2. Studied carbocations from PAHs and Aza-PAHs. Figure adapted from reference 26.

Isodesmic reactions 2 and 3 were calculated as a measure of the relative ease of formation of the aza-epoxides, in order to obtain some insight as to the effect of nitrogen atom on metabolic activation of aza-PAHs. It was presumed that formation of the epoxides is not as relevant as carbocation formation in determining the relative reactivities of Phe, BhQ and BfQ, because almost no energy differences were observed for the isodesmic reactions involving these compounds. 

Calculations of the nucleophilic reactions with MeO" were performed for the carbocations 4H+, 5H+ and 6H+ in order to simulate the crucial step of aza-PAH/adduct formation. These reactions were considered as models for evaluation of the reactivity trend for these carbocations toward nucleophiles. Thus, the thermodynamical tendency of each carbocation to react with the nucleophilic sites of DNA was estimated. 

Both AEr and AGr values for reactions between the carbocations of the Phe derivative and those derived from the aza-PAHs with the nucleophile did not correlate with the known relative experimental activities of these compounds (46). These results reinforce the earlier proposed mechanistic picture that... 

Aza-PAH AEr (kcal/mol) Gas Aqueous Phase Phase Charge Density at C (AqC)b Charge Density at N-7 (AqNj... 

Fig. 22 Aza-PAH derivatives, their carbocyclic parent compounds, and model bay-region carbocations formed via DEs.

Quantum-mechanical calculations have been successfully applied to the study of the carcinogenic pathways of PAH and aza-PAH derivatives, and very good correlations have been shown with the available experimental reactivities of these compounds (23-28). Furthermore, modeling studies of biological electrophiles from PAHs by density functional theory (DFT) methods have given proper descriptions of the charge delocalization modes and NMR characteristics of their resulting carbocations (29-33). 

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