Radicals free, from phenothiazine

Chignell CF, Motten AG, Buettner GR. Photoinduced free radicals from chlorpromazine and related phenothiazines relationship to phenothiazine-induced photosensitization. Env Health Perspect 1985 64 103-110. 

The side chain can also affect electronic events of the tricyclic ring system. Electron spin resonance experiments allowed Fenner S to suggest that the influence of the side chain of phenothiazine on the formation of free radicals showed a correlation between the redox activity of the phenothiazine nucleus and dynamic aspects of stereochemistry. For example, there was a difference in the formation of cationic free radicals between promazine and alimemazine. The latter has a branched side chain, and forms cationic free radicals only under irradiation. It differs from promazine in pharmacodynamic properties, reported s to result in considerably shifted ion exchange equilibria. A kinetic study of the oxidation of dopamine by dialkylaminoalkyl phenothiazine cationic free radicals showed that a strong correlation existed between side-chain structures and oxidation rates phenothiazine free radicals with two carbon side chains had faster rates than those with three carbon side diains, albeit both were very rapid at physiological pH. 

One of numerous examples of LOX-catalyzed cooxidation reactions is the oxidation and demethylation of amino derivatives of aromatic compounds. Oxidation of such compounds as 4-aminobiphenyl, a component of tobacco smoke, phenothiazine tranquillizers, and others is supposed to be the origin of their damaging effects including reproductive toxicity. Thus, LOX-catalyzed cooxidation of phenothiazine derivatives with hydrogen peroxide resulted in the formation of cation radicals [40]. Soybean LOX and human term placenta LOX catalyzed the free radical-mediated cooxidation of 4-aminobiphenyl to toxic intermediates [41]. It has been suggested that demethylation of aminopyrine by soybean LOX is mediated by the cation radicals and neutral radicals [42]. Similarly, soybean and human term placenta LOXs catalyzed N-demethylation of phenothiazines [43] and derivatives of A,A-dimethylaniline [44] and the formation of glutathione conjugate from ethacrynic acid and p-aminophenol [45,46],... 

The advantage of using free radical inhibitors to facilitate the copolymerization of a bisbenzocyclobutene with a bismaleimide was first noted in a patent to Bartmann [78]. Subsequent to this, Corley in a series of patents described some detailed experiments on the copolymerization of bisbenzocyclobutenes with bismaleimides both with and without the addition of a free radical inhibitor [33, 34]. The structures of the bisbenzocyclobutenes used in this study are shown in Fig. 33. The bismaleimide component that was used was a mixture of three different bismaleimides in the molar ratio shown in Fig. 34. The individual bisbenzocyclobutenes were blended at elevated temperature with varying amounts of the bismaleimide composition. In some of the experiments, the free radical inhibitor phenothiazine was added at a 0.5 mole % level. The various monomer mixtures were then copolymerized using one of the cure schedules described in Table 14. The copolymers were then physically characterized using a variety of techniques. Table 14 shows the results obtained from copolymers... 

Various phenothiazines (176) have been oxidized in CH3CN-Et4NC104 to a stable radical-cation (R = OCH3). The free radical resulting from deprotonation of the radical-cation gives in those cases where R = H, SCN, or t-Bu a C—N bond dimer, possibly 177272,2-73 [Eq. (107)]. 

I. S. Forrest, F. M. Forrest, and M. Berger, Free Radicals as Metabolites of Drugs Derived from Phenothiazines, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 29, 441-442 (1958). 

ESR of paramagnetic free radicals can be used to check the efficacy of AOs and other stabilisers. ESR was used in the study of phenothiazines as antioxidants in PP aromatic secondary amines can retard polymer oxidation by reacting with alkylperoxy radicals [824]. Tkac [825] has described hydrogen and electron transfer reactions of AOs by ESR and has shown the efficiency of the ESR technique in elucidating the relationship between structure and reactivity of radicals formed from antioxidants possessing different H- and e-donor functional groups, including (hindered) phenols, amines, etc. 

Various compounds were shown to sensitize the photochemical decomposition of pyridinium salts. Photolysis of pyridinium salts in the presence of sensitizers such as anthracene, perylene and phenothiazine proceeds by an electron transfer from the excited state sensitizer to the pyridinium salt. Thus, a sensitizer radical cation and pyridinyl radical are formed as shown for the case of anthracene in Scheme 15. The latter rapidly decomposes to give pyridine and an ethoxy radical. Evidence for the proposed mechanism was obtained by observation of the absorption spectra of relevant radical cations upon laser flash photolysis of methylene chloride solutions containing sensitizers and pyridinium salt [64]. Moreover, estimates of the free energy change by the Rehm-Weller equation [65] give highly favorable values for anthracene, perylene, phenothiazine and thioxanthone sensitized systems, whilst benzophenone and acetophenone seemed not to be suitable sensitizers (Table 5). The failure of the polymerization experiments sensitized by benzophenone and acetophenone in the absence of a hydrogen donor is consistent with the proposed electron transfer mechanism. 

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