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T C Bruice

Publications and source records attributed to T C Bruice.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

The Acid-Base Properties, Hydrolytic Mechanism, and Susceptibility to O(2) Oxidation of Fe(4)S(4)(SR)(4) Clusters.

The iron-sulfur cluster compounds Fe(4)S(4)(SR)(4) (-2) [where -SR = -SCH(3), -S-C(CH(3))(3), and -S- CH(2)-CH(CH(3))(2)] have been found to represent the base species of weak acids of pK(a) comparable to that of carboxylic acids. The acid species Fe(4)S(4)(SR)(4)H(-) is most subject to reaction with O(2) and to acid-catalyzed solvolysis, while the base species Fe(4)S(4)(SR)(4) (-2) most readily undergoes ligand exchange. The kinetics for hydrolysis of the isobutyl mercaptide cluster salt has been investigated in detail and a mechanism involving the stepwise process [Formula: see text] has been proposed. The importance of the acid-base equilibria in determining the reactivity of the iron-sulfur clusters and its possible importance as a factor in the determination of the potentials of ferredoxins and high potential iron protein are discussed.

Journal Article↗

Radical mechanisms for 1,5-dihydroflavin reduction of carbonyl compounds.

A discussion of the expected mechanism of radical reduction of carbonyl compounds by dihydroflavin as it relates to the structure of the carbonyl compound is provided. Factors which must be taken into account are the free energies of formation of the radical anions (CR2O), THE ACIDITY OF THE CONJUGATE ACID OF THE CARBONYL FUNCTION (R2C negative charge OH), and the stability of the carbanion species of the product [(-)CR2(OH)]. It is proposed that in those instances where the product alcohol can flavin radical to CR2O or CR2OH occurs, otherwise H transfer is the terminal step for dihydroflavin reductions. The free energy of formation of the radical species CH2OH obtained by acid-catalyzed electron transfer from dihydroflavin (Fred) to formaldehyde is shown to be less than the experimentally determined free energy of activation (increment F is not equal to exp) for the reduction of formaldehyde by dihydroflavin (i.e., Fred plus CH2O leads to Fox plus CH2OH). Therefore, the radical pair composed of dihydroflavin radical species serve as an intermediate in the reduction. Our proposed mechanism is: Fred plus CH2O ka[H3O] forms k-a[H2O] Frad CH2OH leads to kc Fox plus CH3OH. The value of kaah/k-a has been obtained from the calculated standard potential Eo' for Fred plus CH2O plus H forms Frad plus CH2OH. Assuming ka to represent a two-step process (i.e., Fred plus CH2O plus H k'a forms k'-a Fred plus CH2OH kb forms k-b Frad CH2OH, where ka equals (k'akb)/(k'-ak-b), the value of k'-a will equal 10-10 M-minus 1 sec-minus 1 and kb 10-9 M-minus 1 sec-minus 1. From k'a/k'-a and kb there can be computed the expected value of increment F is not equal to calc as a function of pH. Comparison of increment F is not equal to calc to increment F is not equal to exp reveals that increment F is not equal to calc varies from increment F is not equal to exp by only about 2kcal mol-minus 1 (8.4 kJ mol-minus 1) between pH 5 and 9. Similar considerations establish that radical intermediates should serve eminently well in dihydroflavin reduction of ethyl pyruvate, pyruvic acid, etc. In these cases, 1 e transfer should compete with H transfer to yield the carbanions as the immediate products. Similar comparisons suggest that dihydronicotinamide reduction proceeds via RPyH plus C negative charge O forms RPyH plus C-0minus +H forms -H RPyH plus C-OH forms RPy plus HC-OH.

Aldehydes↗

Iron-sulfur clusters II: Kinetics of ligand exchange studied on a water-soluble Fe(4)S(4)(SR)(4) cluster.

The water-soluble tetranuclear iron-sulfur cluster ion Fe(4)S(4)(SCH(2)CH(2)CO(2) (-))(4) (6-) (II) has been prepared. The stability of II in water is sufficient to allow the spectrotitrimetric determination of the pK(a) of its Fe(4)S(4) core as 7.4. In our hands the one-electron reductions of compounds I [Fe(4)S(4)(SR)(4) (2-), R = alkyl or aryl,] are thermodynamically irreversible with associated E(1/2) values greater than those for one-electron reduction of ferredoxins. In contrast, the one-electron reduction of II is thermodynamically reversible and the associated potential (-0.58 V versus hydrogen electrode) approaches closely that of the ferredoxins. The kinetics for ligand exchange of II as a function of pH and thiol concentration are in accord with four reversible mercaptan/lyate species exchange reactions followed by product formation via specific acid and base catalysis. Preliminary experiments indicate the nucleophilic order towards II to be Cl(-) [unk] Br(-) < HO(-) < CN(-).

Journal Article↗

A novel mechanism for the NIH-shift.

Kinetics of aromatization of 1,4-dimethylbenzene oxide (I) to 2,5-dimethylphenol (II) and 2,4-dimethylphenol (III), the latter arising by an NIH-Shift of a methyl group, as measured in the pH range 1-12, follow the equation -d[I]/dt = [I][k(0) + (k[unk] + k[unk])aH], where k(0) = 4.8 x 10(-3) sec(-1), k[unk] = 7.3 x 10(2) M(-1) sec(-1), and k[unk] = 5.3 x 10(2) M(-1) sec(-1). The ratio of products II to III at pH >/= 6 in the spontaneous rearrangement (k(0)) is 13 to 87, and changes to 54 to 46 in the acid-catalyzed rearrangement (k[unk] and k[unk]). While no intermediate is detectable in the acid-catalyzed rearrangement of the arene oxide by pathway k[unk], simultaneous addition of water (and other nucleophiles) by pathway k[unk] leads, via the intermediate 1,4-dimethyl-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-diol (IV), to the phenols II and III. This new mechanism for the NIH-Shift serves as a model for the ease of nucleophilic addition to other arene oxides, such as those of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons recently implicated in mechanisms of carcinogenesis.

Alcohols↗