We report the direct observation of intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer reactions (tautomerization) within a single porphycene molecule on a Cu(110) surface by scanning tunneling microscopy. It is found that the tautomerization can be induced via inelastic electron tunneling at 5 K. By measuring the bias-dependent tautomerization rate of isotope-substituted molecules, we can assign the scanni...

The potential energy profiles for proton-transfer reactions of 2-hydroxypyridine and its complexes with water were determined by MP2, CASSCF and MR-CI calculations with the 6-31G** basis set. The tautomerization reaction between 2-hydroxypyridine (2HP) and 2-pyridone (2PY) does not take place at room temperature because of a barrier of approximately 35 kcal/mol for the ground-state pathway. The...

We present calculations for the mechanism and the barrier heights of tautomerization of adenine. We find various pathways for the 9(H) <--> 7(H) and 9(H) <--> 3(H) tautomerization. One mechanism for the 9(H) --> 7(H) tautomerization involves an sp(3)- or carbene-type intermediate, whereas the other proceeds via imine intermediates. Tautomerization from the 9(H) tautomer to 7(H) or 3(H) is predi...

The tautomerization of Criegee intermediates via a 1,4 β-hydrogen atom transfer to yield a vinyl hydroperoxide has been examined in the absence and presence of carboxylic acids. Electronic structure calculations indicate that the organic acids catalyze the tautomerization reaction to such an extent that it becomes a barrierless process. In contrast, water produces only a nominal catalytic effec...

o-Nitrobenzaldehyde is photolabile because of an irreversible phototautomerization, whereas comparable aromatic compounds function as photoprotectors because the tautomerization is reversible. In this experimental and theoretical study we track down the cause of this difference to the electronic changes that occur during the tautomerization.

NEIL1 (Nei-like 1) is a DNA repair glycosylase guarding the mammalian genome against oxidized DNA bases. As the first enzymes in the base-excision repair pathway, glycosylases must recognize the cognate substrates and catalyze their excision. Here we present crystal structures of human NEIL1 bound to a range of duplex DNA. Together with computational and biochemical analyses, our results sugges...

The present paper describes a new enzyme from animal tissues which catalyzes the keto-enol tautomeriaation of the phenylpyruvic acids. Preliminary accounts of this tautomerase have been published (1, 2). The enzyme has not yet proved to be essential in any biological reaction, but a physiological role may be expected since specific tautomers of a-keto acids are substrates or products in some re...

A simple synthetic approach to aromatic compounds using combinations of RCM, dehydration, oxidation, and tautomerization is described.

The experimental and computational results for the tautomerization reaction of 2-pyridone are reviewed. G3, G4, CBS-APNO, and W1 model chemistries are used to generate state-of-the-art reaction energetics for the tautomerization reaction with and without catalytic water molecules in both the gas and aqueous phases. Reactive, electronic potential energy surface surfaces for use in molecular dyna...