Mechanisms of Radical Formation in Irradiated Purine Bases and Derivatives: An E.P.R. Study Using Computer Technique

Summary

The formation and transformation of radicals induced in dry guanine and adenine and their deoxyribonucleosides and nucleotides by electron irradiation have been studied with Q-band E.P.R. at 77 and 300°K. Two basic mechanisms have been derived: (i) decay of the purine ion radicals with release of atomic hydrogen and (ii) reaction of the hydrogen atoms with the base moieties to yield the adducts at the positions C₂ and C₈, respectively.