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Updated: Apr 11, 2026

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Published on: September 25, 2017
Reactions in Nitroimidazole and Methylnitroimidazole Triggered by Low-Energy (0-8 eV) Electrons
Katrin Tanzer1, Linda Feketeová2,3, Benjamin Puschnigg1
1†Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik and Center of Molecular Biosciences, Leopold Franzens Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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.
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