Quantum mechanical calculations, nitric oxide

At present, new developments challenge previous ideas concerning the role of nitric oxide in oxidative processes. The capacity of nitric oxide to oxidize substrates by a one-electron transfer mechanism was supported by the suggestion that its reduction potential is positive and relatively high. However, recent determinations based on the combination of quantum mechanical calculations, cyclic voltammetry, and chemical experiments suggest that °(NO/ NO-) = —0.8 0.2 V [56]. This new value of the NO reduction potential apparently denies the possibility for NO to react as a one-electron oxidant with biomolecules. However, it should be noted that such reactions are described in several studies. Thus, Sharpe and Cooper [57] showed that nitric oxide oxidized ferrocytochrome c to ferricytochrome c to form nitroxyl anion. These authors also proposed that the nitroxyl anion formed subsequently reacted with dioxygen, yielding peroxynitrite. If it is true, then Reactions (24) and (25) may represent a new pathway of peroxynitrite formation in mitochondria without the participation of superoxide. 

The nitrosyldioxyl radical has largely been ignored in the chemical literature because it is relatively unstable in air. Nitrosyldioxyl radical is approximately 4.8 kcal/mol less stable than nitric oxide and oxygen in the gas phase less than 0.1% of the nitric oxide will combine with oxygen under standard conditions in the gas phase. Although present in low concentrations, the infrared spectrum of nitrosyldioxyl radical has been reported in the gas phase (Guillory and Johnston, 1965) and ab initio quantum mechanics calculations have been performed (Boehm and Lohr, 1989). 

Data have been presented on the kinetics of nitration of acetanilide in mixtures of nitric and sulfuric acids.29 A review discusses the several mechanisms operative in the nitration of phenol including /> / -sclective nitrosation-oxidation and mechanisms involving phenoxy radical-nitrogen dioxide reaction yielding a 55 45 ortho para nitration ratio.30 The kinetics of mononitration of biphenyl-2-carboxylic acid have been investigated in several solvents. The maximum ortho para product ratio of 8.4 is observed in tetrachloromethane.31 Nitration products were not formed in the presence of dioxane.31,32 Quantum-chemical AMI calculations were performed and the predominant formation of the ortho-nitro product is accounted for by stabilization of the cr-complex by the carboxyl group.33... 

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