Scavenging and characterization of short-lived radicals using a novel stable nitroxide radical with a characteristic UV-vis absorption spectrum.

A stable tert-butyl(10-phenyl-9-anthryl)nitroxide (BPAN) radical was newly synthesized and used for the capture/characterization of reactive radicals. Adducts obtained from the reactions of BPAN with in situ generated reactive radicals showed excellent stability, assuring complete isolation and purification. The structures of the adducts were established by LC-MS and NMR analyses.