Electrochemical and Spin-Trapping Properties of para-substituted α-Phenyl-N-tert-butyl Nitrones

Nitrones are known both as therapeutic antioxidants and efficient spin-traps. In this work, the redox behavior of various para-substituted α-phenyl-N-tert-butyl nitrones (PBN) was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The polar effect of the substituents was found to correlate with the electrochemical properties of the nitronyl function. Compounds bearing an electron-withdrawing group were more easily reduced than those having an electron-donating group and an opposite trend was observed for the oxidation. Ease of oxidation was also computationally rationalized using DFT approach showing increased ease of oxidation with electron donating functionalities. Since electrochemical properties of nitrones are known to correlate with biological properties, this work provides insights in the design of potent nitrone antioxidants. Using cyclic voltammetry the relative rate of superoxide trapping by nitrones was investigated and compared to the classical antioxidant BHT. The determination of the relative rate of phenyl radical trapping was also carried out but showed no clear correlation with the nature of the substituents. This indicates the absence of a polar effect in agreement with previous data and further supports the intermediate nature, that is, non- or weakly nucleophile, of phenyl radical. On the contrary kinetics of hydroxymethyl radical trapping was found to correlate with the nature of the substituents, demonstrating the nucleophilic nature of its addition onto nitrones.