Nitrofurans belong to the class of drugs typically used as antibiotics or antimicrobials. The defining structural component is a furan ring with a nitro group attached. In the present investigation, electron attachment to 2-nitrofuran (C4H3NO3), which is considered as a potential radiosensitizer candidate for application in radiotherapy, has been studied in a crossed electron-molecular beams experiment. The present results indicate that low-energy electrons with kinetic energies of about 0-12 eV effectively decompose the molecule. In total, twelve fragment anions were detected within the detection limit of the apparatus, as well as the parent anion of 2-nitrofuran. One major resonance region of ≈0-5 eV is observed in which the most abundant anions NO2-, C4H3O-, and C4H3NO3- are detected. The experimental results are supported by ab initio calculations of electronic states in the resulting anion, thermochemical thresholds, connectivity between electronic states of the anion, and reactivity analysis in the hot ground state.
Keywords: electron attachment; fragmentation; low-energy electron; nitrofuran; radiosensitizer; reduction.