The radiolysis of pyrimidines in aqueous solutions: an updating review

This review, with extensive bibliography, is grouped under the following headings: 1) Pyrimidines and dihydropyrimidines in deoxygenated solutions (protonation of the electron adducts at a hetero atom and at carbon, oxidation of the electron adducts and their protonated forms by electron-affinic compounds, site of OH- and H-attack, based-induced water elimination of the C(5)-OH adduct, role of short-lived isopyrimidines in free-radical reactions of pyrimidines, products of the OH-adduct radicals, organic/pyrimidine reactions). 2) Pyrimidines and dihydropyrimidines in oxygenated solution (general aspects of peroxyl-radical chemistry, pyrimidine electron adduct/oxygen reactions, peroxyl radicals derived from 5,6-dihydropyrimidines, peroxyl radicals of the pyrimidine OH adducts). 3) Nucleosides and nucleotides. 4) Homopolynucleotides and DNA. (U.K.)