The Department of Biological Sciences welcomes 

Dr. Eduardo Palomino

Walker Cancer Institute

Department of Biological Sciences

Wayne State University

Discovery of sequential diradicals: the chemistry of hypochlorous and nitric acids in aprotic solvents

Nitric and hypochlorous acid (HOCl) display solubility in the nonpolar solvent ethyl acetate that tilts their ionic nature towards sequential radical action. The acids, named Sequential Di-Radicals or SDRs, are in essence pro-radicals in disguise. Diradical action requires the presence of two active hydrogens in the reactant molecule. One to initiate the fragmentation process and the second one to neutralize the radical produced in the first step. The two actions are extremely fast but not concerted, and because the active hydrogens are in the same molecule, both are obligated participants of the process. Thus, diphenols and substituted diphenols, ascorbic acid, amino phenols, some amino acids, etc. undergo fast and clean reactions by simply mixing at room temperature with the above SDRs in ethyl acetate. SDRs can be considered H2O derivatives in which a hydrogen is replaced by a group capable of homolytic fragmentation such HOCl, HNO3 and similar acids. A one-pot reaction produces new and difficult to make compounds, such as E-quinone 1-pyrroline and the controversial dehydroascorbic acid (di-keto) made by both HOCl and HNO3, trichloro-dopamine, 2- and 4-iminoquinones and chloranil from HOCl.

Hosted by Dr. Markus Friedrich

This seminar will be streamed live. For a zoom link, please contact Dr. Eleni Gourgou at elenigourgou@wayne.edu.