title: Dissociations of copper(II)-containing complexes of aromatic amino acids: radical cations of tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine.
abstract: The dissociations of two types of copper(II)-containing complexes of tryptophan (Trp), tyrosine (Tyr), or phenylalanine (Phe) are described. The first type is the bis-amino acid complex, [Cu(II)(M)(2)].(2+), where M = Trp, Tyr, or Phe; the second [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(M)].(2+), where 4Cl-tpy is the tridendate ligand 4'-chloro-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine. Dissociations of the Cu(ii) bis-amino acid complexes produce abundant radical cation of the amino acid, M.(+), and/or its secondary products. By contrast, dissociations of the 4Cl-tpy-bearing ternary complexes give abundant M.(+) only for Trp. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that for Tyr and Phe, amino-acid displacement reactions by H(2)O and CH(3)OH (giving [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(H(2)O)].(2+) and [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(CH(3)OH)].(2+)) are energetically more favorable than dissociative electron transfer (giving M.(+) and [Cu(I)(4Cl-tpy)](+)). The fragmentation pathway common to all these [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(M)].(2+) ions is the loss of NH(3). DFT calculations show that the loss of NH(3) proceeds via a "phenonium-type" intermediate. Dissociative electron transfer in [Cu(II)(4Cl-tpy)(M-NH(3))].(2+) results in [M-NH(3)].(+). The [Phe-NH(3)] (+) ion dissociates facilely by eliminating CO(2) and giving a metastable phenonium-type ion that rearranges readily into the styrene radical cation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Centre for Research in Mass Spectrometry, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Chi-Kit
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Siu
authors.forename: Yuyong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Yuzhu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
authors.forename: K W Michael
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Siu
mesh_terms: D024322:Amino Acids, Aromatic / Q000737:chemistry*; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000737:chemistry; D011522:Protons; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000737:chemistry; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D024322:Amino Acids, Aromatic; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D011522:Protons; D014443:Tyrosine; D010649:Phenylalanine; D003300:Copper; D014364:Tryptophan