Oxalate esters chemiluminescence efficiencies

Peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence is the most efficient nonenzymatic chemiluminescent reaction known. Quantum efficiencies as high as 22—27% have been reported for oxalate esters prepared from 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and 3-trif1uoromethy1-4-nitropheno1 (6,76,77) with the duorescers mbrene [517-51-1] (78,79) or 5,12-bis(phenylethynyl)naphthacene [18826-29-4] (79). For most reactions, however, a quantum efficiency of 4% or less is more common with many in the range of lO " to 10 ein/mol (80). The inefficiency in the chemiexcitation process undoubtedly arises from the transfer of energy of the activated peroxyoxalate to the duorescer. The inefficiency in the CIEEL sequence derives from multiple side reactions available to the reactive intermediates in competition with the excited state producing back-electron transfer process. 

To understand how these parameters affected the efficiency of the chemiluminescent reaction, we examined the mechanism originally proposed by Rauhut (26). As shown in Scheme 2, hydrogen peroxide reacts with an oxalate ester, such as 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl oxalate (TCPO), in a two-step process to form a reactive intermediate for which Rauhut suggested structure 1, the 1,2-dioxetanedione. The dioxetanedione then interacts with an acceptor (ACC) to produce two molecules of COj and the excited state of the acceptor. The last stage of the sequence is fluorescence emission from the acceptor. 

Figure 13, indicates that the first mole of phenol is released in <30 s, the same elapsed time for the chemiluminescence to reach a maximum intensity. In fact, the measured rate constant r, for the rise in the chemiluminescence emission, is identical to the rate of the first phenol s release from the oxalate ester. Furthermore, the slower rate of release of the second phenol ligand has a rate constant that is identical to the chemiluminescence decay rate f. Thus, the model allows a quantitative analysis of the reaction mechanism, heretofore not available to us. We intend to continue this avenue of investigation in order to optimize the chemiluminescence efficiencies under HPLC conditions and to delineate further the mechanism for peroxy-oxalate chemiluminescence. 

We have also investigated other oxalate esters as a potential means to improve the efficiency. The most commonly used oxalates are the 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl (TCPO) and 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNPO) oxalates. Both have severe drawbacks namely, their low solubility in aqueous and mixed aqueous solvents and quenching of the acceptor fluorescence. To achieve better solubility and avoid the quenching features of the esters and their phenolic products, we turned to difluorophenyl oxalate (DFPO) derivatives 5 and 6 (Figure 14). Both the 2,4- and the 2,6-difluoro esters were readily synthesized and were shown to be active precursors to DPA chemiluminescence. In fact, the overall efficiency of the 2,6-difluorophenyl oxalate 5 is higher than for TCPO in the chemical excitation of DPA under the conditions outlined earlier. Several other symmetrical and unsymmet-rical esters were also synthesized, but all were less efficient than either TCPO or 2,6-DFPO (Figure 14). 

Figure 14. Oxalate esters synthesized (A) and oxalate dependence on the chemiluminescence quantum efficiency (B).

The leaving group of the oxalic ester has a strong effect on the efficiency of the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescent system. The electron-attracting power of the substituents on the phenyl rings of the substituted diphenyl oxalates is important to the overall efficiency of the chemiluminescent reactions. Steric effects... 

In contrast, the oxalate esters have hardly found use as chemiluminescent labels in immunoassays, despite their greater chemiluminescence efficiency. This is probably a consequence of the need to have a fluorescer in the medium with the oxalate ester to generate a measurable light signal. 

Despite their high chemiluminescence efficiency, aromatic oxalic acid esters do have some disadvantages. At high levels of ester, there is some background emission (C9). They are also relatively insoluble in water, which means they are applicable only in situations in which organic solvents or water/solvent mixtures can be tolerated. A novel way of overcoming this problem is to have solid ester (e.g., TCPO) incorporated into the matrix of the immobile phase and allow it to slowly dissolve and leach out in the solvent stream, i.e., aqueous acetonitrile or aqueous methanol (P13, V8). 

There has been enormous progress in the development of more efficient non -enzymatic chemiluminescent systems - the most outstanding being active oxalic esters and other derivatives (p. 69). 

The chemiluminescence reaction of esters of oxalic acid can proceed within a wider pH range than for luminol. However, the most efficient oxalate derivatives are only soluble in organic solvents such as ethyl acetate, acetonitrile, dioxane or dimethoxyethane and dissolution problems of these solvents in aqueous media are encountered. This can limit the use of this chemiluminescence reaction for a direct coupling to an H202-generating enzymatic reaction. 

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