CB Antioxidants

Chain-breaking antioxidants (AH) either donate a hydrogen atom to peroxyl radicals (CB-D), reaction (3.8), or in their oxidised form (A ) may accept a hydrogen atom from an alkyl or peroxyl radical, reaction (3.9)  

Under certain conditions, notably during polymer processing where the oxygen concentration is low, and in light, where the rate of formation of macroalkyl radicals is relatively high, reactions (3.8) and (3.9) may operate together to produce a catalytic antioxidant effect. 

The most widely used CB antioxidants are the polymer soluble 2,6-di-tert-butylphenols, such as BHT and 1076, in plastics and the arylamine antioxidants, e.g. PBN and IPPD, in rubbers  

Phenols are less effective antioxidants than the arylamines but they are non-discolouring. They are converted into a variety of oxidation products e.g. quinones and stable phenoxyl radicals) by further reaction with oxygen or peroxyl radicals (page 64). Many of these are themselves antioxidants. 

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The nitroxide 56 traps in its mesomeric form 56c radicals ROO . Quinone imine iV-oxide 62, is formed via alkylperoxycyclohexadieneimine intermediate. 62 is destroyed by the further attack of ROO . Benzoquinone (63) and nitroso- (64, n = l) and nitrobenzene (64, n=2) are formed in the ultimate phase of the lifetime of 62 [65]. An alternative pathway for oxidation of 56 with ROO in cumene autoxidation suggests formation of an olefin and hydroxylamine 66 as CB antioxidant species [66] ... 

The phenolic UVAs also trap alkoxyl radicals formed from hydroperoxides during photolysis. By removing initiating radical species from the system by reaction (3.8), they are thus also light-stable chainbreaking antioxidants and UVAs. That is they are autosynergistic because they absorb UV light and also act as UV stable CB antioxidants. 

The basis to the chain breaking donor (CB—D) mechanism, which was the first antioxidant mechanism to be investigated, was laid down by the late 1940s [10-12]. Many reducing agents, e.g., hindered phenols and aromatic amines, which reduce the ROO to hydroperoxide in a CB—D step have already been empirically selected and used for rubbers and by this time also for the newer plastics industry (e.g., Table la, AO 1-8 and 9-12). The major mechanistic landmarks of the antioxi-... 

Oxidizing agents, e.g., quinones, which were shown to be able to retard oxidation [13] can function as antioxidants (via a chain breaking acceptor process, CB—A) if they can compete with oxygen for the alkyl radicals (Scheme 4). In the case of polymers, reaction 4a can... 

The early work of Kennerly and Patterson [16] on catalytic decomposition of hydroperoxides by sulphur-containing compounds formed the basis of the preventive (P) mechanism that complements the chain breaking (CB) process. Preventive antioxidants (sometimes referred to as secondary antioxidants), however, interrupt the second oxidative cycle by preventing or inhibiting the generation of free radicals [17]. The most important preventive mechanism is the nonradical hydroperoxide decomposition, PD. Phosphite esters and sulphur-containing compounds, e.g., AO 13-18, Table la are the most important classes of peroxide decomposers. 

Transformation products of stabilizers formed during melt processing may exert either or both anti- and/ or pro-oxidant effects. For example, in the case of BHT, peroxydienones, PxD (reactions 9b, b") lead to pro-oxidant effects, due to the presence of the labile peroxide bonds, whereas quinonoid oxidation products, BQ, SQ, and G- (reaction 9 b, c, d) are antioxidants and are more effective than BHT as melt stabilizers for PP [29], The quinones are effective CB—A antioxidants and those which are stable in their oxidized and reduced forms (e.g., galvinoxyl, G-, and its reduced form, hydrogalvi-noxyl, HG) may deactivate both alkyl (CB—A mecha-... 

A cooperative interaction between two or more antioxidants (or antioxidant function) that leads to an overall antioxidant effect greater than the sum of the individual effects of each antioxidant is referred to as synergism. Synergism can be achieved in different ways. It may arise from the combined action of two chemically similar antioxidants, e.g., two hindered phenols (homosynergism), or when two different antioxidant functions are present in the same molecule (autosynergism) the latter is exemplified by many commercial antioxidants (e.g., Irgastab 2002, AO 29 Table lb), which have CB and UVA activity. 

Synergism can also arise from cooperative effects between mechanistically different classes of antioxidants, e.g., the chain breaking antioxidants and peroxide decomposers (heterosynergism) [42]. For example, the synergism between hindered phenols (CB—D) and phosphites or sulphides (PD) is particularly important in thermal oxidation (Table 2). Similarly, effective synergism is achieved between metal dithiolates (PD) and UV-ab-sorbers (e.g., UV 531), as well as between HALS and UV-absorbers, (Table 3). 

Irg 1076, AO-3 (CB), are used in combination with metal dithiolates, e.g., NiDEC, AO-30 (PD), due to the sensitized photoxidation of dithiolates by the oxidation products of phenols, particularly stilbenequinones (SQ, see reaction 9C) (Table 3). Hindered piperidines exhibit a complex behavior when present in combination with other antioxidants and stabilizers they have to be oxidized initially to the corresponding nitroxyl radical before becoming effective. Consequently, both CB-D and PD antioxidants, which remove alkyl peroxyl radicals and hydroperoxides, respectively, antagonise the UV stabilizing action of this class of compounds (e.g.. Table 3, NiDEC 4- Tin 770). However, since the hindered piperidines themselves are neither melt- nor heat-stabilizers for polymers, they have to be used with conventional antioxidants and stabilizers. 

In the rubber field it is not only the polymer that determines the properties of an elastomer, but many accompanying substances, like fillers, pigments, plasticisers, curing agents, antioxidants, stabilisers and processing aids (cf. Table 2.2). With rubbers the possible compositional permutations are numerous. In fact, already within the additive group of CBs there are more than 30 different possible products. 

Table 2.3 as a completely worked out example using quantitative solvent extraction, ash content determination, TGA, FTIR, XRF, GC-MS, HS-GC-MS, PyFTIR, ICP, and s-NMR. Information on the cure and antidegradant systems was obtained (assigned species/possible origin), as follows cyclohexane thiol/CBS accelerator benzothiazole/MBT, MBTS or CBS accelerators N, A-dimethylformamide/TMTD accelerator phthalim-ide/Santoguard PVI and IV-phenylbenzene amine/possi-bly a diphenyl/acetone amine antioxidant. 

It is of interest to examine the development of the analytical toolbox for rubber deformulation over the last two decades and the role of emerging technologies (Table 2.9). Bayer technology (1981) for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of rubbers and elastomers consisted of a multitechnique approach comprising extraction (Soxhlet, DIN 53 553), wet chemistry (colour reactions, photometry), electrochemistry (polarography, conductometry), various forms of chromatography (PC, GC, off-line PyGC, TLC), spectroscopy (UV, IR, off-line PylR), and microscopy (OM, SEM, TEM, fluorescence) [10]. Reported applications concerned the identification of plasticisers, fatty acids, stabilisers, antioxidants, vulcanisation accelerators, free/total/bound sulfur, minerals and CB. Monsanto (1983) used direct-probe MS for in situ quantitative analysis of additives and rubber and made use of 31P NMR [69]. 

Lussier [71] has given an overview of Uniroyal Chemical s approach to the analysis of compounded elastomers (Scheme 2.2). Uncured compounds are first extracted with ethanol to remove oils for subsequent analysis, whereas cured compounds are best extracted with ETA (ethanol/toluene azeotrope). Uncured compounds are then dissolved in a low-boiling solvent (chloroform, toluene), and filler and CB are removed by filtration. When the compound is cured, extended treatment in o-dichlorobenzene (ODCB) (b.p. 180 °C) will usually suffice to dissolve enough polymer to allow its separation from filler and CB via hot filtration. Polymer identification was based on IR spectroscopy (key role), CB analysis followed ASTM D 297, filler analysis (after direct ashing at 550-600 °C in air) by means of IR, AAS and XRD. Antioxidant analysis proceeded by IR examination of the nonpolymer ethanol or ETA organic extracts. For unknown AO systems (preparative) TLC was used with IR, NMR or MS identification. Alternatively GC-MS was applied directly to the preparative TLC eluent. 

Brack [81] has illustrated the analysis of antioxidants in a CB-free vulcanisate of unknown composition according to Scheme 2.7. Some components detected by off-line TD-GC-MS (cyclohexylamine, aniline and benzothiazole) were clearly indicative of the CBS accelerator other TD components were identified as the antioxidants BHT, 6PPD, Vulcanox BKF and the antiozonant Vulkazon AFS. In the methanol extract also the stabiliser ODPA was identified. The presence of an aromatic oil was clearly derived from the GC-MS spectra of the thermal and methanol extracts. The procedure is very similar to that of Scheme 2.3. 

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