PNNL

Abstract

Canthaxanthin and 8'-apo-B-caroten-8'-al radical cations chemically prepared on activated silica-alumina and in CH2CI2 solution containing A1C13 were studied by pulsed EPR and ENDOR spectroscopies. Both the 1D three-pulse ESEEM and the 2D HYSCORE spectra of the carotenoid-A1C13 mixtures exhibited the 27 A1 nuclei peak at 3.75 MHz. This indicates electron-transfer interactions between carotenoids and A1III ions resulting in the formation and stabilization of carotenoid radical cations. Davies ENDOR measurements of the canthaxanthin radical cation on silica-alumina determined the hyperfine couplings of B protons belonging to three different methyl groups with ahI=2.6 MHz, aH2=8.6MHz, and ah3 ca. 13 MHz. The principal components of the proton hyperfine tensors were obtained from HYSCORE spectra in A1C13 solutions and on the solid support. Identification of the protons was made on the basis of isotropic hyperfine couplings determined by RHF-INDO/SP molecular orbital calculations. In frozen A1C13 solution, the C(7, 7')Ha and C(14, 14')-Ha a protons were observed for Canthaxanthin and the C(8 or 14')-Ha, C(15')-Ha were observed for 8'-apo-B-caroten-8'-al. On the silica-alumina support, the C(10, 10')-Ha, C(11, 11')-Ha, and C(15,15')-Ha a protons were measured for Canthaxanthin and the C(12)-Ha and C(15')-Ha were measured for 8' apo-B-caroten-8'-al. Some protons with large isotropic couplings (>10 MHz) determined from HYSCORE analysis could be assigned to B protons, but the principal components of their hyperfine tensors are much more anisotropic than those reported previously for B protons. We suggest that cis/trans isomerization of carotenoids on silica-alumina results in stabilization of di-cis isomers with large isotropic couplings for some a protons which are comparable to those of B protons.