125 * Corresponding author. e-mail: ahmed41_chem@yahoo.com Kinetics and Mechanism of Oxidation of Chromium(III)-Guanosine Complex By Periodate HASSAN A. EWAIS, SAMAH A. AHMED a AND AHMED A. ABDEL-KHALEK * Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science at Beni-Suef, Cairo University, Beni-Suef City, Egypt Received on July 24, 2003; in final form October 14, 2003 The oxidation kinetics of the chromium(III)-guanosine complex, [Cr III (G)(H 2 O) 4 ] 3+ (G = guanosine) with periodate in aqueous solution were studied and found to obey the rate law: Rate = [Cr III ] T [IO 4 - ] {k 1 K 5 + ( k 2 K 1 K 6 /[H + ])} / {1 + (K 1 /[H + ]) + K 5 [IO 4 - ] + (K 1 K 6 [IO 4 - ]/ [H + ])} where K 1 , K 5 and K 6 are the deprotonation of [Cr III (G)(H 2 O) 4 ] 3+ and pre-equilibrium formation constants [Cr III (G)(H 2 O) 3 -OIO 3 ] 2+ and[Cr III (G)(H 2 O) 2 (OH)OIO 3 ] + precursor complexes respectively. Thermodynamic activation parameters have been calculated. It is proposed that electron transfer proceeds through an inner-sphere mechanism via coordination of IO 4 - to chromium(III). Keywords: Chromium(III)-guanosine complex; Periodate; UV-spectrophotometer; Thermodynamic activation parameters INTRODUCTION Periodate oxidations have been reported to play an important role in biological determinants [1, 2]. They are used to degrade carbohydrate determinants in proteins without altering protein or lipid epitopes [1, 2]. Although interactions of DNA with a large number of metals ions have been investigated, the interaction of chromium(III) with DNA has apparently escaped detailed attention, despite the fact that chromium(III) complexes draw particular attention owing to their environmental toxicity and the carcinogenic nature of higher valent chromium [3]. The oxidation of hexacyanoferrate(II) by periodate has been investigated previously in weakly alkaline and neutral phosphate buffer solution and the kinetic were observed to be simple [4]. The oxidation kinetics of hexacyanoferrate(II) by periodate in acetate buffer was also studied [5]. It was reported that the mechanism of oxidation greatly differed on going from alkaline to acidic solution, whereas in acidic solutions the reaction rate was not only independent of periodate, Inorganic Reaction Mechanisims, Vol. 5, pp. 125-133 © 2004 Old City Publishing, Inc. Reprints available directly from the publisher Published by license under the OCP Science imprint, Photocopying permitted by license only a member of the Old City Publishing Group. a Abstracted from the M.Sc. Thesis of Samah A. Ahmed. Brought to you by | Purdue University Libraries Authenticated Download Date | 5/31/15 2:34 AM