Substituent Effects on the Spectral, Acid-Base, and Redox Properties of Indolyl Radicals: A Pulse Radiolysis Study

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100195a029

Spectral and acid-base properties and reduction potentials of various substituted indolyl radicals were studied by pulse radiolysis in aqueous solutions at 20 deg C.Except for the 5-methoxyindolyl and 5-carboxyindolyl radicals, the spectra of the substituted indolyl radicals resemble the previously published 320- and 520-nm spectra of the neutral and 330- and 580-nm spectra of the cation indolyl and tryptophan radicals.The substitution of indolyl radical cation by electron-attracting groups (positive ?⁺) results in a blue shift of the 580-nm band by ca. 30 nm,, whereas the spectra of methylindolyl (?⁺ = -0.31) are similar to those of unsubstituted indolyl radicals.The 430- and 455-nm bands appearing in the spectra of the 5-carboxyindolyl and 5-methoxyindolyl radical cations, respectively, indicate even stronger interaction of the unpaired electron with the 5-substituent.The radical cations of various indole-3-acetic acids decarboxylate at pH values below their pK_a to produce allyl radicals.The 5-bromoindolyl radical undergoes solvolysis to 5-hydroxyindolyl radical in acidic and alkaline media.The dissociation constants and reduction potentials of the substituted indolyl radicals correlate with the Brown substituent constants: pK_r = 4.14 - 2.13Σ?⁺, correlation coefficient 0.987, and E₀/0.059 = 22.29 + 3.5Σ?⁺, correlation coefficient 0.980.The ρ values from these correlations (-2.13 and 3.5) are similar to that of the Hammett correlation of the dissociation constants of the protonated indole nitrogen in various substituted indoles, ρ = -2.49, but smaller than the ρ value of the dependence on the substituent of the reduction potentials of phenoxyl radicals, ρ = 5.4.