Introduction: A new method for calculating theoretical bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE) and bond dissociation free energy (BDFE) of hydroxylic antioxidants is forwarded. BDE and BDFE may be understood as activation energies accompanying the formation of transition states, which may undergo downhill homolytic dissociation. The new method does not involve the complete fission of O-H bonds.
Method: Theoretical gas phase BDE values were calculated with the ab initio unrestricted Hartree-Fock (UHF) method, as changes in enthalpy between ground singlet states (GS) and triplet dissociative states (DS). Similarly, gas phase BDFEs were estimated from the corresponding changes in Gibbs free energy. The results were then compared with reliable experimental reports.
Results: The proposed theoretical approach of BDE and BDFE determination was tested using 10 simple phenols, 5 flavonoids, and l-ascorbic acid derivatives. The agreement between our calculated gas phase results and the adopted experimental values were generally within 0.5 kcal mol(-1), with a very few exceptions.
Discussion: Generally, steric interactions as well as intramolecular hydrogen bonding involving the dissociating OH group should be minimized in the GS. The DS are both electronically and vibrationally exited transition states. They have one unpaired electron on the carbon atom, which bears the homolytically dissociating OH group and are second order saddle points with a fixed <C-O-H bond angel of 180°.
Conclusion: It was concluded that ab initio UHF was well suited for the estimation of gas phase BDE and BDFE. The method presented has a good potential for application across a range of hydroxylic antioxidants. Currently, work is underway to extend its application in other class of antioxidants.