title: Reactions in Nitroimidazole and Methylnitroimidazole Triggered by Low-Energy (0-8 eV) Electrons.
abstract: Low-energy electrons (0-8 eV) effectively decompose 4-nitroimidazole (4NI) and the two methylated isomers 1-methyl-5-nitroimidazole and 1-methyl-4-nitroimidazole via dissociative electron attachment (DEA). The involved unimolecular decompositions range from simple bond cleavages (loss of H(•), formation of NO2(-)) to complex reactions possibly leading to a complete degradation of the target molecule (formation of CN(-), etc.). At energies below 2 eV, the entire rich chemistry induced by DEA is completely quenched by methylation, as demonstrated in a previous communication (Tanzer, K.; Feketeová, L.; Puschnigg, B.; Scheier, P.; Illenberger. E.; Denifl, S. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 12240). The observation that in 4NI neutral radicals and radical anions are formed via DEA at high efficiency already at threshold (0 eV) may have significant implications for the development of nitroimidazole-based radiosensitizers in tumor radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: †Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center of Molecular Biosciences, Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanzer
authors.affiliation: ‡Université de Lyon; Université Claude Bernard Lyon1; Institut de Physique Nucléaire de Lyon, CNRS/IN2P3 UMR 5822, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.|§ARC Centre of Excellence for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Chemistry and Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Road, Victoria 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feketeová
authors.affiliation: †Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center of Molecular Biosciences, Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Puschnigg
authors.affiliation: †Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center of Molecular Biosciences, Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scheier
authors.affiliation: ∥Institut für Chemie und Biochemie-Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 3, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Illenberger
authors.affiliation: †Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center of Molecular Biosciences, Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Denifl
mesh_terms: D000838:Anions / Q000737:chemistry; D004583:Electrons; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000737:chemistry*; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D006859:Hydrogen; C052587:4-nitroimidazole