Reactivity of free and coordinated radicals in biology and chemical carcinogenesis. II. Electron transfer from 3,4-benzopyrene to molecular oxygen and to peroxides, and interpretation of ESR signals of the intermediate radicals of oxidation.

Already a trace of oxygen mediates the one-electron transfer from 3,4-benzopyrene (benzo(a)pyrene, BP) to hydrogen peroxide or to tert. butyl hydroperoxide (ROOH), leading in this way to generation of highly reactive HO X, HO2 X or RO X and RO2 X radicals in nonpolar solvents at biological temperatures. At slightly higher concentration of O2 in solution and at moderately elevated temperature (40-60 degrees C) a stable radical pair (HO-BPO X)2 in equilibrium with its diamagnetic dimer of quinone-hydroquinone type is formed. The paradiamagnetic equilibrium of this redox system is reversibly shifted with temperature. At low temperature (up to -40 degrees C) the paramagnetism disappears. The precursor of the radical pair, which can be decomposed, applying a polar solvent, is the keto form of the hydroxy derivative (6-HO-BP) at ambient temperature. According to the study of highly resolved ESR spectra of the primary temporarily formed ion radical pair [BP+ X O-2 X] of BP oxidation in the dark, of the secondary radical pair (HO-BPO X)2 and of the coordinated unhindered phenoxy radicals of hydroxy derivatives BPO X CoIII, the mechanisms of one-electron or of hydrogen-atom transfer from radical intermediates of BP to potential biological targets is discussed.