Time-resolved spectroscopic studies of B12 coenzymes: comparison of the influence of solvent on the primary photolysis mechanism and geminate recombination of methyl-, ethyl-, n-propyl-, and 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin.

A transient absorption study of the photolysis of methylcobalamin (MeCbl), ethylcobalamin (EtCbl), and n-propylcobalamin (PrCbl) in ethylene glycol spanning six decades in time, from 10 fs to 10 ns, is reported. These measurements probe the influence of solvent on the formation and decay of the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) intermediate observed following excitation of MeCbl, the photolysis mechanism in EtCbl and PrCbl, and the rate constants for geminate recombination of the alkyl radicals with cob(II)alamin and for the escape of the alkyl radicals from the initial solvent cage. Earlier investigations probed the dynamics of 5'-dexoyadenosylcobalamin (coenzyme B(12)) in water and ethylene glycol (Yoder, L. M.; Cole, A. G.; Walker, L. A., II; Sension, R. J. J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105, 12180-12188) and alkylcobalamins in water (Cole, A. G.; Yoder, L. M.; Shiang, J. J.; Anderson, N. A.; Walker, L. A., II; Banaszak Holl, M. M.; Sension, R. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 434-441). The results of these investigations are discussed in the context of the literature on the frictional influence of solvent on chemical reaction dynamics. The measurements allow a separation of the influence of the solvent on the intrinsic rate constant for geminate recombination and the rate constant for escape from the initial solvent cage. The rate constant for the intrinsic geminate recombination of cob(II)alamin with the alkyl radical is weakly dependent on the solvent and on the nature of the alkyl radical (Me, Et, Pr, or Ado). The Et, Pr, and Ado radicals exhibit the behavior expected for diffusion-controlled escape from the initial solvent cage. In contrast, the magnitude of cage escape for the Me radical is much larger than anticipated on the basis of hydrodynamic arguments.