Radical scavenging reactions of chlorogenic acid: A pulse radiolysis study

At near neutral pH (approx. 5.5), the OH-adduct of chlorogenic acid (CGA), formed on pulse radiolysis of N2O-saturated aqueous CGA solutions (λmax = 400 and 450 nm) with k = 9 × 109 dm3 mol−1 s−1, rapidly eliminates water (k = 1 × 103 s−1) to give a resonance-stabilized phenoxyl type of radical. Oxygen rapidly adds to the OH-adduct of CGA (pH 5.5) to form a peroxyl type of radical (k = 6 × 107 dm3 mol−1 s−1). At pH 10.5, where both the hydroxyl groups of CGA are deprotonated, the rate of reaction of · OH radicals with CGA was essentially the same as at pH 5.5, although there was a marked shift in the absorption maximum to approx. 500 nm. The CGA phenoxyl radical formed with more specific one-electron oxidants, viz., Br2·− and N3· radicals show an absorption maximum at 385 and 500 nm, k ranging from 1–5.5 × 109 dm3 mol−1 s−1. Reactions of other one-electron oxidants, viz., NO2·, NO· and CCl3OO· radicals, are also discussed. Repair rates of thymidine, cytidine and guanosine radicals generated pulse radiolytically at pH 9.5 by CGA are in the range of (0.7–3) × 109 dm3 mol−1 s−1.