Activation of electron-transfer reduction of oxygen by hydrogen bond formation of superoxide anion with ammonium ion.

A hydrogen bond formed between the superoxide anion and the ammonium ion (NH4+) accelerates electron transfer from the C60 radical anion to oxygen significantly, whereas the tetra-n-butylammonium ion has no ability to form a hydrogen bond with the superoxidie anion, exhibiting no acceleration of the electron-transfer reduction of oxygen. The second-order rate constant of electron transfer from C60*- to O2 increases linearly with increasing concentration of NH4+. This indicates that O2*- produced in the electron transfer from C60 to O2 is stabilized by 1:1 complex formation between O2*- and NH4+. The 1:1 complex formed between O2*- and NH4+ was detected by ESR. The binding of O2*- with NH4+ results in a positive shift of the reduction potential of O2 with increasing concentration of NH4+, leading to the acceleration of electron transfer from C60*- to O2.