Early Events of Photosensitized Oxidation of Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids Studied by Laser Flash Photolysis and Mass Spectrometry

J Phys Chem B. 2020 Sep 3;124(35):7564-7573. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c06008. Epub 2020 Aug 21.

Abstract

The mechanism of photooxidation of methionine (N-Ac-Met-NH-CH3, 1) and methyl-cysteine (N-Ac-MeCys-NH-CH3, 2) analogues by 3-carboxybenzophenone triplet (3CB*) in neutral aqueous solution was studied using techniques of nanosecond laser flash photolysis and steady-state photolysis. The short-lived transients derived from 3CB and sulfur-containing amino acids were identified, and their quantum yields and kinetics of formation and decay were determined. The stable photoproducts were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Substantial differences in the mechanisms were found for methionine and S-methyl-cysteine analogues for both primary and secondary photoreactions. A new secondary reaction channel (back hydrogen atom transfer from the ketyl radical to the carbon-centered α-thioalkyl radical yielding reactants in the ground states) was suggested. The detailed mechanisms of 3CB* sensitized photooxidation of 1 and 2 are proposed and discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't