Summary
Short-lived free radicals produced in N2O-saturated aqueous solutions of uracil and thymine have been studied using the in situ radiolysis steady-state e.s.r. method. Radicals formed in alkaline aqueous solutions by OH addition to either positions C(5) or C(6) were observed. Mechanisms for the formation of transient species were derived. The spin density distribution of the unpaired electron was calculated by means of the INDO method.