title: An ab initio study of electronic factors in metabolic hydroxylation of aliphatic carbon atoms.
abstract: The monooxygenase-mediated hydroxylations of aliphatic carbon atoms are known to be regioselective for positions alpha to heteroatoms or to pi systems (aromatic rings, carbon-carbon double bonds, carbonyl groups). Ab initio calculations (STO-3G and in some cases 4-31G) were performed on model molecules, indicating that the Mulliken overlap populations (taken as indices of electron bond densities) of Calpha-H bonds being regioselectively hydroxylated are larger than Cbeta-H and Cgamma-H overlap populations. These results support the hypothesis that metabolic C-hydroxylations occur by insertion of an activated oxygen species of electrophilic nature, probably oxene.
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D004583:Electrons; D006900:Hydroxylation; D011789:Quantum Theory; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon