Laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry of biologically relevant systems: chiral discrimination

Radical ions are open-shell elusive species of paramount importance in many organic reactions and in biological processes. Oxidative bond breaking and forming involving radical ions are common process taking place in asymmetric enzyme cavities. Side-chain C-alpha-C-beta bond fragmentation in the radical cations of aromatic alcohols is a common process in solution [1-3], whose efficiency is enhanced in polar solvents such as water. Hydrogen-bonding between the ion and the solvent in the relevant transition structure is thought as responsible of the rate acceleration [4]. Effects of achiral and chiral microsolvation on the radical cation of R-(+)-1-phenyl-1-propanol, have been investigated. The energy thresholds of the homolytic C alpha-C beta bond breaking of R-(+)-1-phenyl-1-propanol radical cation, its mono-hydrated cluster, and its clusters with (2R,3R)-(-)-2,3-butanediol and (2S,3S)-(+)-2,3-butanediol have been studied through two color Resonant Two Photon Ionization, Photodissociation and Mass Spectrometry. The barrier of the C alpha-C beta fragmentation is appreciably higher for the unsolvated molecular ion than for its adducts with solvent molecules. Moreover, marked differences in the ethyl loss fragmentation energy are observed for the clusters with water and with the two diols. In particular the homochiral cluster with (2R,3R)-(-)-2,3-butane diol exhibits a fragmentation barrier higher than that of the corresponding heterochiral adduct with (2S,3S)-(+)-2,3-butanediol.