Magnetic Resonance Characterization of One-Electron Oxidized Cyclic Dipeptides with Thioether Groups.

Photo-oxidation of seven cyclic dipeptides containing methionine, Met, and/or S-methylcysteine, Cys(Me) by electron transfer from the sulfur atom was studied in aqueous solution by time-resolved and field dependent CIDNP (chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization). Hyperpolarized high resolution NMR spectral patterns of the starting peptides detected immediately after pulsed laser excitation show signals of all protons that are bound to carbons neighboring the sulfur atom, thus proving the involvement of sulfur-centered cation radicals. The magnetic field dependence of CIDNP shows a pronounced maximum that is determined by the g-factors and hyperfine coupling constants of the transient radical species. From simulation of the experimental data obtained for the magnetic field dependences of CIDNP, three types of radical structures were characterized: (1) a linear sulfur-centered cation radical of the methionine (Met) residue (g = 2.0107 ± 0.0010) for cyclo-(d-Met-l-Met) (trans-configuration), cyclo-(d-Met-l-Cys(Me)) (trans-configuration), and cyclo-(Gly-Met); (2) a cyclic radical (S∴O)(+) (g = 2.0088 ± 0.0010) with a two-center three-electron bond (2c-3e) structure between the sulfur atom of the Cys(Me) residue and the oxygen atom of cyclo-(d-Met-l-Cys(Me)) and cyclo-(Gly-Cys(Me)); (3) a cyclic radical (S∴S)(+) (g = 2.013 ± 0.0020) with a two-center three-electron bond structure between the two sulfur atoms of the peptides cyclo-(l-Met-l-Met), cyclo-(l-Met-l-Cys(Me)), and cyclo-(l-Cys(Me)-l-Cys(Me)). In contrast, no indication of any type of cyclic radicals with a two-center three-electron bond between sulfur and nitrogen atoms was found. In addition, the hyperfine coupling constants (HFCCs) were determined.

Time-resolved CIDNP: an NMR way to determine the EPR parameters of elusive radicals.

Chemically Induced Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (CIDNP) of the diamagnetic products of radical reactions is exploited for the purpose of determination of the hyperfine coupling constants (HFCCs) of the radical intermediates. A simple proportionality relation between geminate CIDNP of a nucleus and its HFCC at the radical stage is established. The applicability range of this relation is determined: the relation is fulfilled in the case of a large difference in g-factor between the radicals involved and for the situation where the number of magnetic nuclei in the system is sufficiently large. The validity of the relation was confirmed by CIDNP experiments on radical pairs with precisely known HFCCs. Using the proportionality relation we were able to measure the HFCCs in various short-lived radicals of the amino acids histidine and tryptophan and of the S-N-centered cyclic radical of methionine derived from the methionine-glycine dipeptide in aqueous solution.