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Related Concept Videos

Radical Formation: Abstraction00:47

Radical Formation: Abstraction

The electron of an atom can be abstracted from a compound by a relatively unstable radical to generate a new radical of relatively greater stability. For example, an initiator which forms radicals by homolysis can abstract a suitable species like a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom from a compound to generate a new radical. This ability of radicals to propagate by abstraction is a crucial feature of radical chain reactions.
Even though homolysis produces radicals, it is different from radical...
Radical Reactivity: Overview01:11

Radical Reactivity: Overview

Radicals, the highly reactive species, gain stability by undergoing three different reactions. The first reaction involves a radical-radical coupling, in which a radical combines with another radical, forming a spin‐paired molecule. The second reaction is between a radical and a spin‐paired molecule, generating a new radical and a new spin‐paired molecule. The third reaction is radical decomposition in a unimolecular reaction, forming a new radical and a spin‐paired molecule. These three...
Radical Formation: Overview01:03

Radical Formation: Overview

A bond can be broken either by heterolytic bond cleavage to form ions or homolytic bond cleavage to yield radicals. A fishhook arrow is used to represent the motion of a single electron in homolytic bond cleavage. There are two main sources from which radicals can be formed:
Radicals from spin-paired molecules:
Radicals can be obtained from spin-paired molecules either by homolysis or electron transfer. While two radicals are formed in the former, an electron is added in the latter, also known...
Radical Formation: Addition00:47

Radical Formation: Addition

Radicals can be formed by adding a radical to a spin-paired molecule. This is typically observed with unsaturated species, where the addition of a radical across the π bond leads to the production of a new radical by dissolving the π bond. For example, the addition of a Br radical to an alkene yields a carbon-centered radical.
Similar to charge conservation in chemical reactions, spin conservation is implicit for radical reactions. Accordingly, the product formed must possess an unpaired...
Radical Formation: Elimination00:51

Radical Formation: Elimination

Another method of radical formation is the elimination process. It is the opposite of the addition route and is driven by the instability of the radical. For example, as depicted in Figure 1, dibenzoyl peroxide yields a pair of unstable radicals upon homolysis. Given its instability, this radical spontaneously undergoes elimination via a C–C bond cleavage to form a relatively more stable phenyl radical. The mechanism involves cleavage of the bond between the α and β positions with respect to...
Mass Spectrometry: Molecular Fragmentation Overview01:20

Mass Spectrometry: Molecular Fragmentation Overview

The ionization of a molecule into a molecular ion inside the mass spectrometer causes instability in the molecule's structure due to the loss of an electron. This eventually leads to the fragmentation or breaking of some bonds in the molecule. The fragmentation occurs predominantly at specific bonds to yield relatively stable fragments.
One type of fragmentation pattern is the cleavage of a single bond in the molecular ion. The cleavage leads to a radical and a cation. The cleavage can occur at...

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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization
08:22

Measurement of Ultrafast Vibrational Coherences in Polyatomic Radical Cations with Strong-Field Adiabatic Ionization

Published on: August 6, 2018

Radical conversion and migration in electron capture dissociation.

Benjamin N Moore1, Tony Ly, Ryan R Julian

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|April 19, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electron capture dissociation (ECD) is a proteomics technique. New findings suggest hydrogen deficient radical chemistry significantly contributes to ECD fragmentation, offering new mechanistic insights.

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Area of Science:

  • Proteomics and Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Electron capture dissociation (ECD) is vital for proteomics, aiding in sequence and modification analysis.
  • The precise chemical mechanisms driving ECD fragmentation remain debated.
  • Existing research often overlooks non-backbone dissociation pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of side chain loss and other dissociation channels in ECD mechanisms.
  • To explore the chemical pathways following initial radical formation in ECD.
  • To determine if hydrogen deficient radical chemistry influences ECD fragmentation patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Focusing on side chain loss and alternative dissociation pathways in ECD.
  • Analyzing fragment ions generated through ECD.
  • Comparing ECD observations with known hydrogen deficient radical chemistry.

Main Results:

  • Initially formed hydrogen-rich radicals in ECD rapidly convert to hydrogen-deficient radicals.
  • Subsequent dissociation is predominantly mediated by this hydrogen-deficient radical chemistry.
  • Statistical analysis of ECD fragments aligns with predictions from hydrogen-deficient radical chemistry.
  • Hydrogen-deficient radical chemistry explains selective dissociation at disulfide bonds.

Conclusions:

  • Hydrogen-deficient radical chemistry plays a crucial, often overlooked, role in ECD fragmentation.
  • ECD mechanisms can be better understood by considering hydrogen-deficient radical pathways.
  • Findings are reproducible using independent non-ECD methods for generating hydrogen-deficient radicals.