Quantitative aspects of ESR and spin trapping of hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen atoms in gamma-irradiated aqueous solutions.

The efficiency of 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-1-N-oxide (DMPO) and alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert.-butylnitrone (POBN) to spin trap hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen atoms, respectively, was studied in gamma-irradiated solutions where the radical yields are accurately known. The effects of dose, spin trap concentration, and pH and of the stability of the spin adducts on the spin-trapping efficiency were investigated. In degassed or N2-saturated solutions the spin-trapping efficiencies were 35% for DMPO and hydroxyl radicals and 14% for POBN and hydrogen atoms. The low spin-trapping efficiencies were shown not to be due to the instability of the DMPO-OH and POBN-H spin adducts or to the effects of H2O2 or O2. The low spin-trapping efficiency of DMPO may be explained by the reaction of hydroxyl radicals to abstract hydrogen from the DMPO molecule to produce carbon radicals as well as addition to the N = C double bond to form nitroxide radicals. For POBN the low spin-trapping efficiency for hydrogen atoms is explained in terms of addition reactions of hydrogen atoms to the aromatic ring and the pyridinium and nitrone oxygens.