Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 2005, 70, 1769-1786
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc20051769

2-Deoxyribose Radicals in the Gas Phase and Aqueous Solution. Transient Intermediates of Hydrogen Atom Abstraction from 2-Deoxyribofuranose

Luc A. Vannier, Chunxiang Yao and František Tureček*

Department of Chemistry, Bagley Hall, Box 351700, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1700, U.S.A.

Abstract

A computational study at correlated levels of theory is reported to address the structures and energetics of transient radicals produced by hydrogen atom abstraction from C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, O-1, O-3, and O-5 positions in 2-deoxyribofuranose in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. In general, the carbon-centered radicals are found to be thermodynamically and kinetically more stable than the oxygen-centered ones. The most stable gas-phase radical, 2-deoxyribofuranos-5-yl (5), is produced by H-atom abstraction from C-5 and stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the O-5 hydroxy group and O-1. The order of radical stabilities is altered in aqueous solution due to different solvation free energies. These prefer conformers that lack intramolecular hydrogen bonds and expose O-H bonds to the solvent. Carbon-centered deoxyribose radicals can undergo competitive dissociations by loss of H atoms, OH radical, or by ring cleavages that all require threshold dissociation or transition state energies >100 kJ mol-1. This points to largely non-specific dissociations of 2-deoxyribose radicals when produced by exothermic hydrogen atom abstraction from the saccharide molecule. Oxygen-centered 2-deoxyribose radicals show only marginal thermodynamic and kinetic stability and are expected to readily fragment upon formation.

Keywords: Carbohydrates; Hydrogen abstraction; Conformation analysis; DNA oxidative damage; Radiolysis; Ab initio calculations; Radical stability.

References: 37 live references.