Peroxyl reactions

For P > 5.5 the chemistry becomes more comph-cated and the production of O3 is not so straightforward. At high VOC/NO2 one should expect an increase in the concentration of O3, in principle. However, beyond a certain VOC/NO2 ratio a further increase of VOC or decrease in NO2 will favour peroxyl—peroxyl reactions, which remove free radicals from the system and retard O3 formation. Examples of termination reactions that reduce the O3 cychc formation are... 

To explore the effects of additives on the initial generation of PP peroxyl radicals, some films were irradiated at -78 C in air. At this temperature, only peroxyl radicals are detected (no carbon centred radicals) and the peroxyl radicals are indefinitely stable (10). The peroxyl 3deld could then be quantified by double integration of the esr spectrum at -140 C, relative to a cuprous acetylacetonate standard (10). The effects of additives on peroxyl reactions at room temperature could then be followed by decay of the esr signal. 

Autooxidation. Liquid-phase oxidation of hydrocarbons, alcohols, and aldehydes by oxygen produces chemiluminescence in quantum yields of 10 to 10 ° ein/mol (128—130). Although the efficiency is low, the chemiluminescent reaction is important because it provides an easy tool for study of the kinetics and properties of autooxidation reactions including industrially important processes (128,131). The light is derived from combination of peroxyl radicals (132), which are primarily responsible for the propagation and termination of the autooxidation chain reaction. The chemiluminescent termination step for secondary peroxy radicals is as follows ... 

Tertiary peroxyl radicals also produce chemiluminescence although with lower efficiencies. For example, the intensity from cumene autooxidation, where the peroxyl radical is tertiary, is a factor of 10 less than that from ethylbenzene (132). The chemiluminescent mechanism for cumene may be the same as for secondary hydrocarbons because methylperoxy radical combination is involved in the termination step. The primary methylperoxyl radical terminates according to the chemiluminescent reaction just shown for (36), ie, R = H. 

Chemical Antioxidant Systems. The antioxidant activity of tea extracts and tea polyphenols have been determined using in vitro model systems which are based on hydroxyl-, peroxyl-, superoxide-, hydrogen peroxide-, and oxygen-induced oxidation reactions (109—113). The effectiveness of purified tea polyphenols and cmde tea extracts as antioxidants against the autoxidation of fats has been studied using the standard Rancimat system, an assay based on air oxidation of fats or oils. A direct correlation between the antioxidant index of a tea extract and the concentration of epigallocatechin gallate in the extract was found (107). 

The total antioxidant activity of teas and tea polyphenols in aqueous phase oxidation reactions has been deterrnined using an assay based on oxidation of 2,2 -azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-sulfonate) (ABTS) by peroxyl radicals (114—117). Black and green tea extracts (2500 ppm) were found to be 8—12 times more effective antioxidants than a 1-mAf solution of the water-soluble form of vitamin E, Trolox. The most potent antioxidants of the tea flavonoids were found to be epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate. A 1-mAf solution of these flavanols were found respectively to be 4.9 and 4.8 times more potent than a 1-mAf solution of Trolox in scavenging an ABT radical cation. 

The oxygen reaction is quite complex. Complete reduction from oxygen gas to hydroxide ion involves four electrons and requires several steps. Initially, oxygen is reduced to peroxyl ion [14691-59-9]... 

The presence of oxygen can modify the course of a fiee-radical chain reaction if a radical intermediate is diverted by reaction with molecular oxygen. The oxygen molecule, with its two unpaired electrons, is extremely reactive toward most free-radical intermediates. The product which is formed is a reactive peroxyl radical, which can propagate a chain reaction leading to oxygen-containing products. 

Bateman, Gee, Barnard, and others at the British Rubber Producers Research Association [6,7] developed a free radical chain reaction mechanism to explain the autoxidation of rubber which was later extended to other polymers and hydrocarbon compounds of technological importance [8,9]. Scheme 1 gives the main steps of the free radical chain reaction process involved in polymer oxidation and highlights the important role of hydroperoxides in the autoinitiation reaction, reaction lb and Ic. For most polymers, reaction le is rate determining and hence at normal oxygen pressures, the concentration of peroxyl radical (ROO ) is maximum and termination is favoured by reactions of ROO reactions If and Ig. 

PD—S) to yield phosphates and alcohols, see Scheme 5 reaction a. Sterically hindered aryl phosphites (e.g., AO 14) have an additional chain breaking activity, i.e. they react with peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals during their function as antioxidants (reactions 5b and 5c) [18]. 

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. 

Clearly kinetics alone will not distinguish the two schemes. To gain this distinction one can deliberately add a reagent that, judging from its independent chemistry, will react with one of the possible chain-carrying radicals. If the suspected radical is indeed an intermediate, and it reacts with the addend, the overall reaction will be slowed or halted. The added substance is a chain-breaker. In this case Fe2+ and Cu2+ (separately) were added. The first of these would very likely react with either of the peroxyl radicals, ROO or MOO. Indeed, Fe2+ dramatically inhibits the reaction. This evidence confirms the chain nature of the process, but does not distinguish between the mechanisms since both ROO and MOO would be scavenged by Fe2+. 

The sulfenic acids have been found to be extremely active radical scavengers showing rate constants of at least 107 m"1 s 1 for the reactions with peroxyl radicals at 333 K17. It has also been suggested that the main inhibiting action of dialkyl sulfoxides or related compounds in the autoxidation of hydrocarbon derives from their ability to form the transient sulfenic acids on thermal decomposition, i.e.17... 

Square brackets around a molecular species indicate atmospheric concentration. The rate constants k times the reactant concentration product refers to the rates of the chemical reactions of the indicated number. The photolytic flux term /l4 refers to the photodissociation rate of N02 in Reaction R14, its value is proportional to solar intensity.]. RO2 stands for an organic peroxyl radical (R is an organic group) that is capable of oxidizing NO to NO2. Hydrocarbons oxidize to form a very large number of different RO2 species the simplest of the family is methylperoxyl radical involved in R5, R6 and R8. 

R8 is the simplest of a large suite of peroxyl radical combination reactions, generalized as R02 + H02 and R02 + R02 that generate poorly characterized radical and non-radical reaction products. Such reactions are of greatest significance in air with low nitric oxide concentration where the R02 species can reach elevated concentrations (95). The dependence of [H02 ] upon the tropospheric NO concentration is discussed below. 

R02./R02 Recombinations. Another area of uncertainty is the peroxyl radical recombination reactions described above, which become especially significant when the NO concentration is low. This can occur late in the photooxidation of polluted air undergoing transport, as in some rural environments (60,85) and in clean air. Although reactions of H02 with itself (R33) are reasonably well understood (their rate depends upon total pressure and upon water vapor concentration), reactions of H02 with R02 species and the R02 self reaction are much less well quantified. Since these serve as important radical sink processes under low NO. conditions, their accurate portrayal is important for accurate prediction of HO, concentrations. 

Figure 45-6. Interaction and synergism between antioxidant systems operating in the lipid phase (membranes) of the cell and the aqueous phase (cytosol). (R-,free radical PUFA-00-, peroxyl free radical of polyunsaturated fatty acid in membrane phospholipid PUFA-OOH, hydroperoxy polyunsaturated fatty acid in membrane phospholipid released as hydroperoxy free fatty acid into cytosol by the action of phospholipase Aj PUFA-OH, hydroxy polyunsaturated fatty acid TocOH, vitamin E (a-tocopherol) TocO, free radical of a-tocopherol Se, selenium GSH, reduced glutathione GS-SG, oxidized glutathione, which is returned to the reduced state after reaction with NADPH catalyzed by glutathione reductase PUFA-H, polyunsaturated fatty acid.)...

Several powerful oxidants are produced during the course of metabolism, in both blood cells and most other cells of the body. These include superoxide (02 ), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), peroxyl radicals (ROO ), and hydroxyl radicals (OH ). The last is a particularly reactive molecule and can react with proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and other molecules to alter their structure and produce tissue damage. The reactions listed in Table 52-4 play an important role in forming these oxidants and in disposing of them each of these reactions will now be considered in turn. 

The formation and reaction of peroxyl radicals derived by reaction of tervalent phosphorus compounds with oxygen have attracted interest. Photolysis of trialkyl phosphites in oxygenated solutions of aromatic hydrocarbons gives phenols. " Phosphorus trichloride reacts with 1,2-dichloroethylene, in the presence of oxygen, to give (17). It is tempting to suggest that both reactions occur via similar intermediates, e.g. (15) and (16). 

As strong antioxidants and scavengers of superoxide, hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals, tea flavonoids can suppress radical chain reactions and terminate lipid peroxidation (Kumamoto and Sonda, 1998, Yang and Wang, 1993). 

Fig. 16.5 Synergistic regeneration of a-tocopherol by quercetin at a lipid-water interphase. a-tocopherol is reacting with a lipid peroxyl radical in a chain-breaking reaction. According to the standard reduction potential, the phenoxyl radical of quercetin can further be regenerated by ascorbate.

However, peroxidation can also occur in extracellular lipid transport proteins, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), that are protected from oxidation only by antioxidants present in the lipoprotein itself or the exttacellular environment of the artery wall. It appeats that these antioxidants are not always adequate to protect LDL from oxidation in vivo, and extensive lipid peroxidation can occur in the artery wall and contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (Palinski et al., 1989 Ester-bauer et al., 1990, 1993 Yla-Herttuala et al., 1990 Salonen et al., 1992). Once initiation occurs the formation of the peroxyl radical results in a chain reaction, which, in effect, greatly amplifies the severity of the initial oxidative insult. In this situation it is likely that the peroxidation reaction can proceed unchecked resulting in the formation of toxic lipid decomposition products such as aldehydes and the F2 isoprostanes (Esterbauer et al., 1991 Morrow et al., 1990). In support of this hypothesis, cytotoxic aldehydes such as 4-... 

Since the peroxyl and alkyl radicals are regenerated, the cycle of propagation could continue indefinitely or until one or other of the substrates are consumed. However, experimentally the length of the propagation chain, which can be defined as the number of lipid molecules converted to lipid peroxide for each initiation event, is finite. This is largely because the cycle is not 100% efficient with peroxyl radicals being lost through radical-radical termination reactions (Reaction 2.4 in Scheme 2.1). 

LOO, the peroxyl radical LH, the lipid substrate L, the lipid-derived alkyl radical AH, a chain-breaking antioxidant A, the antioxidant-derived radical. Copper is the catalyst in this reaction and would also form the alkoxy radical as shown in Reaction 2.9 (see text), which is omitted here for the sake of clarity. 

In this reaction scheme, the steady-state concentration of peroxyl radicals will be a direa function of the concentration of the transition metal and lipid peroxide content of the LDL particle, and will increase as the reaction proceeds. Scheme 2.2 is a diagrammatic representation of the redox interactions between copper, lipid hydroperoxides and lipid in the presence of a chain-breaking antioxidant. For the sake of clarity, the reaction involving the regeneration of the oxidized form of copper (Reaction 2.9) has been omitted. The first step is the independent decomposition of the Upid hydroperoxide to form the peroxyl radical. This may be terminated by reaction with an antioxidant, AH, but the lipid peroxide formed will contribute to the peroxide pool. It is evident from this scheme that the efficacy of a chain-breaking antioxidant in this scheme will be highly dependent on the initial size of the peroxide pool. In the section describing the copper-dependent oxidation of LDL (Section 2.6.1), the implications of this idea will be pursued further. 

The chain-breaking antioxidant must scavenge peroxyl radicals at a fester rate than they can react with another unsaturated fetty acid (reaction 2.10). The reverse reaction, whereby the antioxidant radical converts the lipid peroxide to a peroxyl radical, should also be slow (reaction 2.11 in Scheme 2.3). 

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