title: Very low energy electrons transform the cyclobutane-pyrimidine dimer into a highly reactive intermediate.
abstract: Electrons with virtually no kinetic energy (close to 0 eV) trigger the decomposition of cytotoxic cyclobutane-pyrimidine dimer (CPD) into a surprisingly large variety of fragment ions plus their neutral counterparts. The response of CPD to low energy electrons is thus comparable to that of explosives like trinitrotoluene (TNT). The dominant unimolecular reaction is the splitting into two thymine like units, which can be considered as the essential molecular step in the photolyase of CPD. We find that CPD is significantly more sensitive towards low energy electrons than its thymine building blocks. It is proposed that electron attachment at very low energy proceeds via dipole bound states, supported by the large dipole moment of the molecule (6.2 D). These states act as effective doorways to dissociative electron attachment (DEA).
authors.affiliation: Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center of Molecular Biosciences, Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Edtbauer
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Denifl
authors.forename: Violaine
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vizcaino
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: An der Lan
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taubitz
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wille
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feketeova
authors.forename: Richard A J
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: O'Hair
authors.forename: Tilmann D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Märk
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Illenberger
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scheier
mesh_terms: D002073:Butanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D003500:Cyclization; D004583:Electrons; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011740:Pyrimidine Dimers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002073:Butanes; D011740:Pyrimidine Dimers; C046888:butane