l,l’-TRIMETHYLENEBISTHYMINE AS SYNTHETIC MODEL OF DINLJCLEOTIDE TpT ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION

v. 4 Ace. Obsercutorre. The electrochemtcal reductton of l,l’-trimethylenebtsthymine (Thy(C,) in dtmethylsulfoxtde was mvesttgated usmg dc polarography. cyclic voltammetry. controlled potenttal electrolysis and spectroelectrochemtstry. Thy(C, is reduced m a two-electron step (Et ,z = -2.40 V) to a diradical diamon which abstracts protons from the parent Thy(C, to form a neutral free diradtcal and the Thy(C, )Thy diamon. The neutral free dtradtcal 1s further reduced and protonated to form I,l’-trtmethylenebtsdthydrothymme. The dtamon forms msoluble mercury salts producmg up to three oxidation peaks ( E,, hetween 0.35 and 0.07 V). The effect of added base on the electrochemtcal and spectroelectrochemtcal behavior is described The number of layers of the mercury-Thy(C? salt adsorbed in the anodic and stripped in the cathodic processes was calculated. The mechamsm of adsorptton is discussed.