The interactions of oxidative radicals (Br2 , HO etc.) with N-phosphoryl dipeptide derivatives (NDM-TrpOMe and NDT-MetOMe) have been investigated by using pulse radiolysis at different pH values. Ithas been found that Br2 and HO radicals oxidize the Met-site and Trp-site in the dipeptide derivatives via formation of the three-electron-bonded intermediate and indolyl radical simultaneously. Then the intramolecular electron transfer along the peptide backbone occurs. The rate constants of electron transfer, k, have been determined and the reaction mechanism has been deduced.
By using time-resolved kinetic spectrophotometry and pulse radiolysis technique, the oxidation of Phe by SO4- radical has been investigated both in aqueous and water/acetonitrilemixed solutions. The results reveal that attack of the oxidizing SO4- radical on Phe leads directlyto the formation of Phe cation radical 3 with a strong absorption peak at 310 nm, then it proceeds in three competitive reactions via either hydroxylation, deprotonation or decarboxylation, which were found to be strongly dependent upon the ionization state of the substitutes -COOH and -NH2 and the nature of the solvents. Decarboxylation takes place only when the carboxyl group is deprotonated. At high pH deprotonation of Phe cation radical 3 is much easier to occur than that in neutral or acid solutions. Moreover, with addition of acetonitrile, deprotonation is more predominant than hydroxylation, whereas in aqueous solutions hydroxylation is much easier to occur.
