Search

The symmetry of the arrangement of objects has fascinated philosophers, artists and scientists for a long time, and still does. Symmetries often exist in nature, but are also created artificially, for instance by chemical synthesis of novel molecules and materials. The one-sided, non-orientable Möbius band topology is a paradigm of such a symmetry-based fascination. In the early 1960s, in synthetic organic chemistry the interest in molecules with Möbius symmetry was greatly stimulated by a short paper by Edgar Heilbronner. He predicted that sufficiently large [n]annulenes with a closed-shell electron configuration of 4n π-electrons should allow for sufficient π-overlap stabilization to be synthesizable by twisting them with a 180° phase change into the Möbius symmetry of their hydrocarbon skeleton. In 2007, the group of Lechosław Latos-Grażyński succeeded in synthesizing the compound di-p-benzi[28 ]hexa-phyrin(1.1.1.1.1.1), compound 1, which can dynamically switch between Hückel and Möbius conjugation depending, in a complex manner, on the polarity and temperature of the surrounding solvent. This discovery of “topology switching” between the two-sided (Hückel) and one-sided (Möbius) molecular state with closed-shell electronic configuration was based primarily on the results of NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The present EPR and ENDOR work on the radical cation state of compound 1 is the first study of a ground- state open-shell system which exhibits a Hückel–Möbius topology switch that is controlled by temperature, like in the case of the closed-shell precursor. The unpaired electron interacting with magnetic nuclei in the molecule is used as a sensitive probe for the electronic structure and its symmetry properties. For a Hückel conformer with its higher symmetry, we expect – and observe – fewer ENDOR lines than for a Möbius conformer. The ENDOR results are supplemented by and in accordance with theoretical calculations based on density functional theory at the ORCA level.

Semiempirical molecular orbital methods (PM3, INDO, ZINDO/S) have been used to calculate the effects of local electric fields and of hydrogen bonding on the g and hyperfine tensors of a nitroxide spin label model system. The results yield a linear correlation between the two principal tensor components g xx and A N zz at label sites of varying polarity. Hydrogen bonding with a single water molecule produces a constant shift of Δg xx ≅ −4 × 10−4. These theoretical results are used to interpret recent high field (3.4 T, 95 GHz) electron paramagnetic resonance investigations on site-directed spin labelled bacteriorhodopsin. This protein reveals a close correlation between proticity and polarity at the various label sites. The slope of the g xx versus A N zz dependence is affected strongly by polarity induced structural strains of the spin label.

The radical-pair state of the primary electron donor and the secondary electron acceptor (P(700)(+z.rad;)A(1)(-z.rad;)) of the photosynthetic reaction center (RC) photosystem I (PS I) of Synechocystis PCC 6803 was studied by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) at high field/high frequency (3.4 T/95 GHz) using orientation selection in multilayers. The goal of the present article is to work out the basis for future studies, in which the improved resolution of such multilayers may be used to detect mutation-induced structural changes of PS I in membrane preparations. This approach is particularly interesting for systems that cannot be prepared as single crystals. However, in order to use such multilayers for structural investigations of protein complexes, it is necessary to know their orientation distribution. PS I was chosen as a test example because the wild type was recently crystallized and its X-ray structure determined to 2.5 A resolution [Nature 411 (2001) 909]. On the basis of our experimental results we determined the orientation distribution. Furthermore, a simulation model for the general case in which the orientation distribution is not axially symmetric about the C(2) symmetry axis of the RC is developed and discussed. Spectra simulations show that changes in the TREPR spectra of PS I are much more significant for these oriented multilayers than for disordered samples. In this way the use of oriented multilayers, in conjunction with multifrequency TREPR measurements on oriented as well as on disordered samples, is a promising approach for studies of structural changes of PS I systems that are induced by point mutations.

The flavin cofactor of Escherichia coli DNA photolyase in its neutral radical form, FADH•, was investigated by high-frequency/high-field continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance at 360 GHz. The data presented are the first flavin radical spectra where the full rhombic symmetry of the g-tensor is resolved. A fit of the spectrum yields accurate principal values of g, which show only a small anisotropy: gX = 2.004 31(5), gY = 2.003 60(5) and gZ = 2.002 17(7). The hyperfine splitting observed in the gY region could be assigned to a hyperfine tensor component of the H(5) proton in the 7,8-dimethyl isoalloxazine moiety of FADH•. From a comparison of this effective hyperfine coupling with the principal value obtained from pulsed (Davies) electron−nuclear double resonance, the orientation of the g-tensor principal axes with respect to the H(5) hyperfine principal axes could be derived. Remaining ambiguities in the sign of the angle between the principal axes of g and the molecular axes are discussed by ta...

Continuous-wave high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (95 GHz, 3.4 T) is performed on a spin label side chain located at residue position 171 in the proton entrance channel of bacterior-hodopsin The conformational differences of three bacteriorhodopsin mutants, the single mutant F171C, the double mutant D96G/F171C, and the triple mutant D96G/F171C/F219L, are reflected in different gxx and Azz tensor component shifts of the nitroxide side chain. The most polar microenvironment is found in the single mutant, whereas the open proton entrance channel reported for the triple mutant allows a reorientation of the nitroxide group towards a microenvironment of lower polarity and/or reduced hydrogen bonding. The experimental data of the double mutant are explained by a light-independent equilibrium of two nitroxide orientations with different polarities of the local microenvironment. Upon illumination the spectrum of the single mutant revealsg xx andA zz tensor component shifts which resemble those determined for the triple mutant in the dark. This result provides strong evidence for a light-induced opening of the proton entrance channel of the single mutant similar to that found in the unilluminated triple mutant, in agreement with electron diffraction data.

The photoexcited quartet (Q1) and doublet (D1) states of the complex of tetra-phenyl-porphine zinc (II) and a nitroxide radical have been studied in toluene solution by X-(9.4 GHz) and W-band (94 GHz) time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The spin-polarized signals of the Q1 and D1 states are observed and assigned by analysis of theg-values. Line broadening and spin polarization mechanisms in this system are discussed.

Density functional theory is used to calculate the electronic structure of the neutral flavin radical, FADH(*), formed in the light-induced electron-transfer reaction of DNA repair in cis,syn-cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyases. Using the hybrid B3LYP functional together with the double-zeta basis set EPR-II, (1)H, (13)C, (15)N, and (17)O isotropic and anisotropic hyperfine couplings are calculated and explained by reference to the electron densities of the highest occupied molecular orbital and of the unpaired spin distribution on the radical. Comparison of calculated and experimental hyperfine couplings obtained from EPR and ENDOR/TRIPLE resonance leads to a refined structure for the FAD cofactor in Escherichia coli DNA photolyase. Hydrogen bonding at N3H, O4, and N5H results in significant changes in the unpaired spin density distribution and hyperfine coupling constants. The calculated electronic structure of FADH(*) provides evidence for a superexchange-mediated electron transfer between the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer lesion and the 7,8-dimethyl isoalloxazine moiety of the flavin cofactor via the adenine moiety.

We investigate the effect of stochastic modulation of the exchange interaction Jex on singlet (S)-triplet (T) transitions in radical pairs. These transitions limit the lifetime of the photo-generated radical pairs in covalently linked porphyrin-quinone systems that have been developed for biomimetic modeling of photosynthetic electron transfer processes. In order to explain transient electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results in different magnetic fields, i.e., with X-band ((0.34 T)/ (9.5 GHz)) and W-band ((3.4 T)/(95 GHz)) time-resolved EPR, we have to assume that Jex is modulated over a range of 20000 G, which is wide enough that S is temporarily almost degenerate with T0 as well as with T−1. This large modulation of Jex is caused by restricted rotational diffusion of the quinone subunit with respect to the porphyrin subunit. However, because of the small interradical distance of about 1.0–1.4 nm, the radical pair is continuously kept in the strong coupling limit and, therefore, we observe only EPR transition between the triplet sublevels. We find an approximation to solve the stochastic Liouville equation valid for rotational diffusion on an intermediate time scale, i.e., the diffusion rate DR is smaller than the singlet electron recombination rate KS ∼ 109 s−1, but larger than the ST transition rates κ0, κ−1 < 106 s−1.

Primary photosynthesis is the biological electron transfer process by which green plants and certain bacteria convert the energy of sunlight into electrochemical energy. Light-induced charge separation is achieved by (bacterio) chlorophyll donor and quinone acceptor cofactors in the transmembrane reaction center protein complexes. Thereby transient radical ions are formed creating weakly coupled radical pairs. Time-resolved high-field EPR spectroscopy is ideally suited to study such short-lived species in their working states. It provides detailed information on the structure and dynamics of the cofactors in their binding sites and on hydrogen bond interaction with the protein. Thereby, our understanding of primary photosynthesis on the molecular level is improved.

The photoexcited triplet state of free-base porphycene randomly oriented in a glassy toluene matrix has been investigated by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance and electron spin echo spectroscopy over the temperature range 4–100 K. Spectral broadening and anisotropic relaxation are both observed as the temperature is raised, demonstrating the complementary use of these techniques. It is concluded that two triplet states are present in the EPR spectra: only one at 4 K, and the other becoming populated at higher temperatures. This behaviour is explained in terms of intramolecular N–H tautomerism in the porphycene macrocycle. The N–H tautomerism is estimated to have a maximum rate of 7×108 s-1 at 100 K.

Using W-band time-resolved EPR (TREPR) (95 GHz), the lowest excited doublet (D1) state was observed in solution for the first time together with the excited quartet (Q1) and doublet ground (D0) states in a complex of MgTPP (TPP; tetraphenylporphyrin) and an axial-ligating p-pyridylnitronylnitroxide radical (nit-p-py). The g value obtained for D1 was in good agreement with the calculated value. The spin polarization of D1 varied with time from an emission to an absorption as well as that of Q1 and D0. The result shows that the spin polarizations are produced by a radical−triplet pair mechanism with a ferromagnetic coupling (J > 0). The sign of the exchange coupling is consistent with that obtained in the X-band TREPR experiment (Fujisawa, J.; Ishii, K.; Ohba, Y.; Yamauchi, S.; Fuhs, M.; Mobius K. J. Phys. Chem. A 1997, 101, 5869).

Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigations, performed at microwave frequencies of 9.5 GHz (X band) and 95 GHz (W band), on porphyrin quinone quinone and porphyrin porphyrin quinone triads are presented. Time-resolved EPR at different microwave frequencies makes it possible to elucidate the electron transfer (ET) reactions after pulsed laser excitation and to determine their intermediates, the charge-separated radical pair (RP) states. After photoexcitation in the nematic and soft glass phase of a liquid crystal (LC), spin-polarized EPR spectra are observed for the RPs and for the triplet states of the porphyrins created by spin-selective intersystem crossing (ISC) from the excited porphyrin singlet state. The EPR polarization patterns of the RPs are discussed in terms of the favoured decay channels of the photoexcited singlet state of the porphyrin donor. The decay pathway can be singlet ET to the quinone(s) followed by singlet/triplet mixing to yield RPs with triplet character, or...

The photoexcited triplet state of free-base porphycene randomly oriented in a glassy toluene matrix has been investigated by time-resolved EPR over the temperature range 4-200 K. The spectra show a remarkable temperature dependence. It is concluded that two triplet states are present in the EPR spectra: only one is present at 4 K, and the other is populated at higher temperatures. The energy difference between the two states is estimated to be 0.4 kJ mol-1. The behaviour is explained in terms of fast intramolecular NH tautomerism present in the porphycene macrocycle. As the temperature is raised the exchange between the two states increases and one effective state is observed. In addition, at even higher temperatures where the solvent is close to the liquid-glass transition, the triplet spectrum is affected by anisotropic relaxation caused by rotation of the porphycene molecule in the molecular plane.

A novel probe head with a two-loop-one-gap resonator for X-band (9.5 GHz) time-resolved transient electron paramagnetic resonance measurements with direct detection is described. The low quality factor Q of the resonator allows time resolution in the order of 10 ns while the high filling factor guarantees a sensitivity which is at least comparable to that of conventional cavity resonators. A novel feature of the resonator is the coupling mechanism which exploits the field distribution in the microwave shield. The type of the resonator and the microwave coupling scheme chosen provide high mechanical stability of the setup. This is particularly important for pulsed laser excitation and gas stream cooling of the sample. The advantages of the probe head are demonstrated by relaxation measurements on the photoexcited triplet state of zinc-tetratolylporphyrin, for which the high time resolution allows the determination of fast anisotropic relaxation. This relaxation behavior can be attributed to the dynamic Jah...

Davies-type pulsed H electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) measurements were performed at a magnetic field of 3.4 T and a microwave (MW) frequency of 95 GHz (W-band). By taking advantage of the increased electron Zeeman interaction at high field, the small g-anisotropy of the semiquinone anion radicals could be resolved in frozen solutions. Hence, the W-band ENDOR spectra could be taken at the well-separated canonical peaks of the powder electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra, thereby becoming highly orientation-selective with respect to the relative orientation of the radicals to the external magnetic field. The measurements were performed on various randomly oriented semiquinone anion radicals in frozen alcoholic solution and on the primary ubiquinone anion radical, Q, frozen photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers (RCs) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides in which the Fe was replaced by Zn (ZnRC). A simulation program was used to obtain magnitudes and orientations of the hyperfine tensors. The W-band ENDOR spectra of the immobilized radicals show not only hyperfine couplings (HFC) of local protons of the semiquinones, but also those of protons from the environment. These are, for example, involved in hydrogen bonds between the amino acid surrounding and the quinone carbonyl groups. For Q in ZnRCs, a particularly large H-bond HFC was obtained from which direction and distance of the H-bond could be estimated. These data were compared with those measured for the respective ubisemiquinone radical, UQ-10, in protonated and deuterated 2-propanol, where two H-bonds of comparable strength but different directions could be detected. Comparison of H ENDOR spectra of the 2,3,5,6-tetra-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone anion radical in frozen solution, performed both at W-band and at X-band frequency, demonstrated the limitations of achieving orientation selected ENDOR spectra from X-band experiments on systems with small g-anisotropy.

The “Contracted Porphyrins” corrole and the recently synthesized isocorrole (as octaethyl derivatives) represent novel porphyrinoid macrocycles of biochemical interest. The radical cations of the free-bases of both corrole and its isomer are studied by EPR, ENDOR, and TRIPLE resonance in liquid solution to measure isotropic hyperfine couplings including signs. They yield detailed information of the electronic structure of the radical cations. The experimental findings are compared with results of all-valence-electrons self-consistent field molecular orbital calculations (RHF-INDO/SP). The comparison shows that the free-bases of corrole and isocorrole undergo protonation when oxidized to cation radicals in CH2Cl2 solution. Excellent agreement of the measured and calculated spin density distributions is achieved for the protonated dication radicals, which exhibit the C2 symmetry observed for the hyperfine structure. The analysis of the hyperfine data discriminates against NH tautomerism as the sole source for an effective C2 symmetry of the macrocycle.

ENDOR spectra of triplet state molecules have a chacteristic line from degenerate NMR transitions within the zero level (ZL) electron spin manifoldM S=0. The ZL line, observed at the free nuclear Larmor frequency, dominates spectra when the number of nuclei is large. This line was found to be substantially reduced in intensity at low temperature. The strong variation of the ZL line intensity is analyzed within the frame of an electric-circuit analogy modeling. The result is as follows: At low temperature the electron and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rates become small, and the nuclear-nuclear spin flip-flop transitions between degenerate substates,M I=const within the ZL manifold, become relatively strong to compete for population redistribution. This reduces the population differences between nuclear sublevels. Additional NMR irradiation can thus do very little to reduce these differences even more, and the ENDOR effect becomes suppressed. A certain enhancement of the relaxationally suppressed ZL line occurring at increased EPR saturation is explained by the coherent action of the microwave field on the selected substate within the ZL manifold that shifts its energy out of the other degenerate states thereby closing the flip-flop relaxation channel.

The specific ENDOR line at the free Larmor frequency νp in the low temperature spectra of triplet state molecules is caused by degenerate NMR transitions within theMs=0 zero-level (ZL) electron spin manifold. This ZL line was found to be orientationally dependent for the diradical complex Zn(3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-semiquinone)2Zn(DBSQ)2: the ZL line dominates the ENDOR spectrum if it is detected at the perpendicular canonical components of the EPR spectrum, and vanishes if the complex is oriented with its ZFSz-axis parallel to the direction of the magnetic field, i.e., if detected at the parallel canonical EPR components. This effect is shown to result from the interaction between nuclear spin substates of the S and T0 manifolds, their levels being close to each other for the Zn(DBSQ)2 complex. Such an interaction mixes the states and shifts energy levels. Consequently, it cancels the degeneracy of the nuclear substates within the ZL manifold and reduces the rate of nuclear flip-flop relaxation. This specific relaxation mechanism has been shown to substantially affect the amplitude of the ZL line (Doubinskii A.A., Lebedev Ya.S., Mobius K.: Appl. Magn. Reson.13, 439 (1997)). The nuclear flip-flop relaxation effect is expected to be orientationally dependent since the S-To separation depends upon the orientation of the diradical with respect to the external magnetic field.

The electronic structure of the primary electron donor (D) of the photosynthetic bacteriumRhodobacter sphaeroides is investigated by ENDOR in the photoinduced triplet state of D. Hyperfine (hf) splittings of the triplet state measured on frozen solutions are given and compared to the results obtained earlier (Lendzian F., van Willigen H., Sastry S., Mobius K., Scheer H., Feick R.: Chem. Phys. Lett.118, 145 (1985). The hf splittings found are consistent with a model of an asymmetric spin density distribution over the two bacteriochlorophyll molecules which constitute D, suggesting a mirror image symmetry of HOMO and LUMO coefficients. The could be relevant for electron transfer, in particular unidirectionality in the reaction center (RC). The first triplet state ENDOR experiments on single crystals of RC’s are also reported.

An EPR and ENDOR probehead with a loop-gap resonator for X-band is described. The novel feature of the construction is that an iris-type coupling of the resonator is used instead of the conventional antenna coupling. The ENDOR coil combines the role of creating the radio frequency field and that of a shield for the microwave loop-gap structure. Hence, in order to accommodate the iris and waveguide, a pair of RF coils is used in conjunction with a reduced waveguide with dielectric filling. This arrangement simplifies matching the resonator to the microwave bridge, and standard EPR cryostats can be used making sample manipulation more convenient.

The bacteriochlorophyll (BGhl)a cation radical is studied by cw-EPR and multinuclear ENDOR/TRIPLE resonance techniques in liquid solution yielding the hyperfine coupling constants (hfcs) for 12 protons, all 4 nitrogens and the central magnesium nucleus. The H hfcs are assigned to specific molecular positions by various experimental techniques including isotope substitution, H/D exchange experiments and comparison with bacteriochlorophyll derivatives. The determined temperature dependences of the H hfcs are measured and related to dynamical properties of the molecule in solution. The experimental hfcs compare well with those obtained from semiempirical molecular orbital calculations of the RHF-INDO/SP type. The importance of these results for BChl speciesin vivo, i.e., in the protein matrix, is discussed.

▪ Abstract Some of the significant advances in time-resolved multifrequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) methods are reviewed, with the explicit focus on studies of light-driven processes and photoreactions in real time. Prominent examples are excited state electron transfer reactions with transient charge-separated radical pairs playing a central role. Paramagnetic intermediates and products are key functional states; thus EPR is the method of choice for their characterization. Photogenerated spin polarization and coherences as process-inherent features add the practical advantage of compensation in the trade-off between sensitivity and time resolution. Additionally, they provide detailed structural and dynamic information on the photoreactive system. Significance and specificity of the results achieved for charge separation in photosynthetic reaction centers and donor-acceptor model complexes indicate highly promising perspectives in photochemical research.

The results of calculations of doublet state G tensors of organic radicals often show unsatisfactory agreement with the respective experimental data. This led us to reconsider the results of the Rayleigh–Schrodinger perturbation theory approach found in the literature. We came to the conclusion that neither the expressions given for restricted nor for unrestricted Hartree–Fock functions are fully correct. In this paper new expressions for the G tensor to be used with restricted Hartree–Fock functions will be introduced and results of calculations employing these new formulas in conjunction with molecular states from semiempirical Hartree–Fock-type calculations are discussed.

A chemically induced dynamic electron spin polarization (CIDEP) study has been accomplished on radical-excited triplet pairs (RTP) in systems of metalloporphyrins, MgTPP, ZnTPP, and ZnOEP, and pyridine-substituted nitronyl nitroxide radicals, nit-R (R = o-py, m-py, and p-py), by X- (9.5 GHz) and W-band (95 GHz) time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) in solution. Axial-ligations between the porphyrins and the radicals were ascertained from visible absorption spectra except for the nit-o-py system. The TREPR spectra were composed of two signals, which were assigned to those of the ground (D0) state of the radical and the excited quartet (Q1) state of the RTP. These components showed two kinds of CIDEPs in different time regions. The polarizations of the Q1 state were attributed to radical−triplet pair mechanisms (RTPMs) with singlet and triplet precursors. In the nit-p-py and the nit-m-py systems, the polarizations of the radical were generated via an electron spin polarization transfer (ESPT...

▪ Abstract This review focuses on the recent advances in EPR spectroscopy as they are applied both to photoinduced electron transfer in the photosynthetic apparatus and to biomimetic systems. The review deals with time-resolved direct-detection cw and pulsed EPR and ENDOR methods, both at conventional bands [X-(9.5 GHz), K-(24 GHz), and Q-(35 GHz)] and at high frequency bands (W-band, 95 GHz, and even highter frequency bands). EPR studies on photosynthetic and model systems in their doublet, triplet and radical pair states are surveyed, including their static and dynamic properties. Applications of time-resolved EPR in studying photoinduced electron and energy transfer in isotropic and anisotropic environments, and the concepts of electron spin polarization and magnetic field effects in photochemical reactions are also reviewed.

Fourier transform EPR spectroscopy was employed in studying the electron transfer (ET) reaction and the quenching mechanisms of the photoexcited triplet state of C60 as electron acceptor and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylbenzidine (NTMB) as electron donor in benzonitrile solution. The ET reaction product, the cation radical NTMB*+, interacts with 3*C60, leading to photoinduced electron polarization of NTMB*+ via triplet-doublet mixing mechanism combined with triplet mechanism. The quenching of 3*C60 and the polarization behavior of NTMB*+ are discussed.

Conventional zero-field optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) is normally performed by using a slow-wave helix for microwave excitation with a quality factor Q≈1. With available microwave sources this low Q factor leads to long microwave pulse lengths for coherent pulse experiments (π-pulse duration of about 300 ns for 20 W microwave excitation power). For our zero-field experiments we took advantage of the bridged loop-gap microwave resonator configuration with relatively high Q factor. Without the possibility of tuning the Zeeman energy level splitting as in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), in zero-field ODMR the resonator has to cover a wide range of frequencies. We are able to tune our probehead in the range of 1.9–8 GHz with a loaded Q factor of up to 800 by using interchangeable bridged loop-gap resonators of various designs. Thereby, the pulse lengths, compared to the slow-wave helix, could be reduced by nearly one order of magnitude (tresonatorπ=45 ns employing the same microwave powe...

The spin-polarized EPR spectra at 95 GHz (W-band), 24 GHz (K-band), and 9 GHz (X-band) of the radical pair in highly purified photosystem I particles are presented. The spectra are analyzed to obtain both the magnetic parameters of the radical pair as well as the relative orientation of the two species. From the analysis, the g-tensor of is found to be gxx = 2.0062, gyy = 2.0051, and gzz = 2.0022, and it is shown that A1 is oriented such that the carbonyl bonds are parallel to the vector joining the centers of and . The anisotropy of the g-tensor is considerably larger than that obtained for chemically reduced phylloquinone in frozen 2-propanol solution. Possible reasons for this difference and their implications for the A1 binding site are discussed. The relative orientation of and is compared with earlier estimates obtained using less accurate g-values for . A comparison with the spectra of in bacterial reaction centers (bRCs) of Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26 in which the nonheme iron has been replaced b...

Some organisms can survive complete dehydration and high temperatures by adopting an anhydrobiotic state in which the intracellular medium contains large amounts of disaccharides, particularly trehalose and sucrose. Trehalose is most effective also in protecting isolated in vitro biostructures. In an attempt to clarify the molecular mechanisms of disaccharide bioprotection, we compared the structure and dynamics of sucrose and trehalose matrices at different hydration levels by means of high-field W-band EPR and FTIR spectroscopy. The hydration state of the samples was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and the structural organization was probed by EPR using a nitroxide radical dissolved in the respective matrices. Analysis of the EPR spectra showed that the structure and dynamics of the dehydrated matrices as well as their evolution upon re-hydration differ substantially between trehalose and sucrose. The dehydrated trehalose matrix is homogeneous in terms of distribution of the residual water and spin-probe molecules. In contrast, dehydrated sucrose forms a heterogeneous matrix. It is comprised of sucrose polycrystalline clusters and several bulk water domains. The amorphous form was found only in 30% (volume) of the sucrose matrix. Re-hydration leads to a structural homogenization of the sucrose matrix, whilst in the trehalose matrix several domains develop differing in the local water/radical content and radical mobility. The molecular model of the matrices provides an explanation for the different protein–matrix dynamical coupling observed in dried ternary sucrose and trehalose matrices, and accounts for the superior efficacy of trehalose as a bioprotectant. Furthermore, for bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers it is shown that at low water content the protein–matrix coupling is modulated by the sugar/protein molar ratio in sucrose matrices only. This effect is suggested to be related to the preference for sucrose, rather than trehalose, as a bioprotective disaccharide in some anhydrobiotic organisms.

In this review on advanced EPR spectroscopy, which addresses both the EPR and NMR communities, considerable emphasis is put on delineating the complementarity of NMR and EPR concerning the measurement of molecular interactions in large biomolecules. From these interactions, detailed information can be revealed on structure and dynamics of macromolecules embedded in solution- or solid-state environments. New developments in pulsed microwave and sweepable cryomagnet technology as well as ultrafast electronics for signal data handling and processing have pushed to new horizons the limits of EPR spectroscopy and its multifrequency extensions concerning the sensitivity of detection, the selectivity with respect to interactions, and the resolution in frequency and time domains. One of the most important advances has been the extension of EPR to high magnetic fields and microwave frequencies, very much in analogy to what happens in NMR. This is exemplified by referring to ongoing efforts for signal enhancement in both NMR and EPR double-resonance techniques by exploiting dynamic nuclear or electron spin polarization via unpaired electron spins and their electron-nuclear or electron-electron interactions. Signal and resolution enhancements are particularly spectacular for double-resonance techniques such as ENDOR and PELDOR at high magnetic fields. They provide greatly improved orientational selection for disordered samples that approaches single-crystal resolution at canonical g-tensor orientations - even for molecules with small g-anisotropies. Exchange of experience between the EPR and NMR communities allows for handling polarization and resolution improvement strategies in an optimal manner. Consequently, a dramatic improvement of EPR detection sensitivity could be achieved, even for short-lived paramagnetic reaction intermediates. Unique structural and dynamic information is thus revealed that can hardly be obtained by any other analytical techniques. Micromolar quantities of sample molecules have become sufficient to characterize stable and transient reaction intermediates of complex molecular systems - offering highly interesting applications for chemists, biochemists and molecular biologists. In three case studies, representative examples of advanced EPR spectroscopy are reviewed: (I) High-field PELDOR and ENDOR structure determination of cation-anion radical pairs in reaction centers from photosynthetic purple bacteria and cyanobacteria (Photosystem I); (II) High-field ENDOR and ELDOR-detected NMR spectroscopy on the oxygen-evolving complex of Photosystem II; and (III) High-field electron dipolar spectroscopy on nitroxide spin-labelled bacteriorhodopsin for structure-function studies. An extended conclusion with an outlook to further developments and applications is also presented.

The distance and relative orientation of functional groups within protein domains and their changes during chemical reactions determine the efficiency of biological processes. In this work on electron transfer proteins, we report the results of orientation resolving dipolar high-field EPR spectroscopy on the charge-separated state P700•+ A1•– (P700, primary electron donor; A1, phylloquinone electron acceptor) in Photosystem I (PS I). Pulsed high-field EPR spectroscopy at W-band (95 GHz, 3.4 T) with extensions to PELDOR (pulsed electron–electron double resonance) and RIDME (relaxation-induced dipolar modulation enhancement) was utilized to obtain the parameters describing the three-dimensional structure of the laser-flash-induced transient radical pair P700•+ A1•– in a frozen solution of deuterated PS I from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, which is performing oxygenic photosynthesis. The measured distances and relative orientations of the weakly coupled radical ions in the radical pair P700•+ A1•– are compared with previously reported geometries and with those of the precursor cofactors P700 and A1 known from X-ray crystallography. Cyclic electron transfer was found to proceed exclusively via the A-branch of the cofactor chain of PS I at cryogenic temperature. The position and orientation of the reduced phylloquinone coincide with those of the precursor, revealing that no substantial orientational changes of the phylloquinone molecule upon charge separation occur. Several distinct orientations of the P700•+ g-tensor axes with respect to the molecular frame of the primary donor were found experimentally, which we explain by several conformational substates of the P700•+ radical structure having slightly different electron spin density distributions.

In der aktuellen Photosyntheseforschung interessieren vor allem die Elektronentransferreaktionen der Ladungstrennung und -rekombinationen, die unmittelbar nach Lichteinfall ablaufen. Ein Elektron springt dabei eine Kette von Farbstoffmolekulen entlang, die in einer Protein-matrix eingebettet sind, und liefert die elektrochemische Energie fur die nachgeschalteten chemischen Dunkelreaktionen zur CO2-Assimilation. Zur Aufklarung der Elektronentransfer-Schritte werden mit Erfolg Elektronenspin-Resonanz (EPR)-Experimente durchgefuhrt, in denen nach einem kurzen Laserblitz die Strukturen und dynamischen Eigenschaften der am Ladungstransfer beteiligten Molekulzustande gemessen werden. Das in Berlin von den drei Autoren entwickelte gepulste Hochfeld-EPR-Spektrometer arbeitet bei zehnfach hoheren Mikrowellenfrequenzen und Magnetfeldern als bisherige kommerzielle Gerate. Dadurch wird es moglich, an winzigen Probenmengen auf wenige milliardstel Sekunden genau die lichtinduzierten Reaktionen zu untersuchen und die Struktur der Reaktionspartner zu bestimmen, was fur ein Verstandnis komplexer biophysikalischer Prozesse unerlaslich ist. In Deutschland ist dieses Hochfeld-Gerat bisher einzigartig.

EPR spectroscopy at high frequencies and low temperatures and ENDOR spectroscopy at X- and W-bands have been applied to investigate two- and three-spin complexes of the type MQ2˙ and MQ3˙ generated by mechanochemical treatment (by grinding or by the action of elastic waves) of solid mixtures of quinones and metals (M = Al, Ga, In, Cd, Sn, Zn). In addition, complexes obtained in liquid-phase reactions of metal amalgams with quinones were investigated. The magnetic-resonance parameters and the observed thermal spin polarization provide evidence for the identity of the magnetic complexes produced in solutions and by solid-state mechanochemical treatment. In particular, the presence of ground-state triplet and quartet species has been demonstrated in both cases. In addition, the exchange and the dipole–dipole interaction parameters were evaluated, their comparison providing information about the electronic intramolecular interaction.

Light-induced triplet electron transfer (ET) and subsequent triplet radical-pair (RP) recombination in two covalently linked porphyrin–quinone systems in highly viscous ethanol has been investigated by both transient optical absorption and time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy with a time resolution of 10 ns. The temperature dependence of the rates is measured between 155 and 200 K and compared with predictions of solvent-controlled adiabatic electron-transfer theory. It is shown that the triplet ET in the normal region (exergonicity ΔG0 λs) depends on the dynamics of the exchange interaction J, on the triplet–singlet mixing of the radical pair states and on the singlet recombination rate. An intermolecular ET process leading to a disproportionation reaction of the quinone moieties is also observed.

Time-resolved EPR spectra are reported for photoexcited porphyrin—quinones with butylene and cis- or trans- cyclohexylene spacers between porphyrin donors and crown ether—quinone acceptors. In the nematic phases of liquid crystals, polarized triplet EPR spectra of the porphyrin moiety could be observed at early delay times (0.1–0.6 μs) after laser flash irradiation. At later delay times (1–2 μs) the triplet EPR spectra of the charge-separated radical pair state, created by intramolecular electron transfer from the porphyrin donor to the crown ether quinone acceptor, could be detected. The similarity of the zero-field splitting parameters D of the cyclohexylene- and butylene-linked compounds shows that the radical pair of the flexible butylene-linked compound is in a stretched conformation. However, longer laser irradiation of the species with the flexible bridge results in the formation of a novel triplet radical pair species with a shorter porphyrin—quinone separation indicating a photoinduced backfolding of the quinone over the porphyrin plane. Comparison of the cis- and trans-cyclohexylene-linked compounds reveals a distortion of the cyclohexylene spacer in the cis compound.

Recent improvements of a 3 mm high-field/high-frequency CW EPR/ENDOR spectrometer [O. Burghaus, M. Rohrer, T. Gotzinger, M. Plate, and K. Mobius, Meas. Sci. Technol.3, 765 (1992)] are presented, making it possible for ENDOR measurements to be performed with NMR radiofrequeney fields of more than 2.5 mT (rotating frame) over a frequency range of 40 MHz. Applications of this setup to plastosemiquinone anion radicals are described which serve as a model for the secondary electron acceptor in plant photosystem II. The orientation-selected high-field ENDOR spectra of the plastoquinone anion radicals, recorded at different EPR field positions, are analyzed with the aid of computer simulations. The determination of hyperfine interactions of the radical in a perdeuterated solvent is described. The experiments demonstrate the potential of high-field/high-frequency EPR/ENDOR in structure determination including anisotropic interactions with the environment.

Semiempirical molecular orbital calculations of the electronic g-tensor have been performed on the primary donor cation radical P865+· of Rb. sphaeroides R-26 reaction centers (RCs). These calculations are based on Stone's theory for free radical doublet states and RHF-INDO wave functions and orbital energies. The result is in qualitative agreement with recent W-band (95 GHz) EPR measurements of the g-tensor in RC single crystals which show a breaking of C2 symmetry in the primary donor electronic structure.

Radicals generated photochemically from a covalently linked porphyrin-quinone donor-acceptor system dissolved in reversed micelles and isotropic solution have been studied by steady-state and time-resolved EPR spectroscopy. In these systems photoinducedintramolecular as well asintermolecular electron transfer processes occur which result in the formation of semiquinone radical anions and porphyrin radical cations. Disproportionation of the semiquinone leads to the formation of porphyrin-hydroquinone (and porphyrin-quinone). The porphyrin-hydroquinone is itself photoactive and reacts through the photoexcited triplet state of the porphyrin. Reduction of the porphyrin to the dihydro from — probablyvia hydrogen abstraction by the photoexcited porphyrin from the hydroquinone — appears to be the dominant reaction. Once formed the dihydrophyrin undergoes further similar photochemistry. Emissively polarized spectra are observed from these systems in steady-state EPR experiments. Timeresolved EPR indicates that this polarization is essentially due to the radical triplet pair mechanism.

In photosynthesis research the elucidation of the spatial and electronic structures of the electron donor and acceptor ion radicals is very important for an understanding of the light-induced electron transfer process. Recent 3 mm (W-band, 95 GHz) high-field EPR and ENDOR studies on the primary donor cation radicals P+. (bacteriochlorophyll dimer), the acceptor anion radicals Q+. (quinones), and the charge-separated radical pair (P+.Q−.) in photosynthetic bacteria and biomimetic model systems are presented. From single crystals of, for instance,Rb. sphaeroides R-26 reaction centers both the hyperfine tensors of various protons and theg-tensor of P865 +. have been determined and compared with calculated tensor values based on recent X-ray structure data. The results consistently reveal a breaking of the local C2 symmetry of the electronic structure at the primary donor side of the reaction center. This is of particular interest since it might be relevant for the vectorial electron transfer along the protein complex. Among the quinone radical anions studied are frozen solutions of the electron acceptors of bacterial and plant reaction centers (ubiquinone and plastoquinone, respectively). The increased electron Zeeman interaction in high-field EPR leads to almost completely resolvedg-tensor components even in disordered samples. Theg-tensors and component linewidths are sensitive probes for specific anisotropic interactions with the environment. In the case of the transient correlated coupled radical pair P865 +.-QA −. ofRb. sphaeroides (Fe replaced by Zn) the spin-polarized high-field EPR spectra allow an unambiguous determination of the relative orientation of theg-tensors of the donor and acceptor parts. Thereby high-precision structure information is obtained on the electron transfer pigments after light-induced charge separation.

Transient EPR spectra of protonated and deuterated Zn-substituted reaction centres of Rhodobacter sphaeroides R-26, measured at a microwave frequency of 95 GHz and an external magnetic field of 3.5 T, are presented. The high-field/high-frequency spin-polarized spectrum of the correlated coupled radical pair P 865 +. Q A −. after laser flash excitation is a very sensitive monitor of the relative orientation of the two g -matrices and the dipolar tensor with respect to each other. Therefore, detailed structural information of the RC concerning the relative orientation of the primary donor P 865 +. and the acceptor Q A −. with respect to the axis connecting the two molecules in the RC can be derived. Together with the information obtained by high-field cw-EPR on single crystals, the enhanced resolution of the polarized high-field spectra allows an unambiguous assignment of the g -matrix of the donor P 865 +. to the molecular axis system. The experimental results are compared with earlier X-band (9 GHz) and K-band (24 GHz) EPR experiments.

The origin of frequently observed “negative” (opposite phase) ENDOR lines in the low-frequency region of triplet state ENDOR spectra is explained in terms of microwave hole burning and RF modulation phenomena. From this, a new method of detecting burnt side holes in EPR spectra is derived which is based on cw ENDOR instrumentation. The method uses the modulation satellites that are induced by a longitudinal RF field component and appear around any EPR line, including burnt holes (“negative” lines). The longitudinal RF field was generated by a coil oriented parallel to the external field, but a longitudinal component of the RF field also exists in most conventional ENDOR spectrometers because of slight misalignments of the ENDOR coil generating the transversal RF field. The lines it induces in the low-frequency part of ENDOR spectra are generally considered as artifacts. It is shown, however, that RF induced modulation satellites provide valuable information concerning the lines distant from the spectral position in the EPR spectrum chosen for ENDOR observation. This allows one to record the pattern of side holes burnt by microwave saturation through forbidden transitions that carries information about ENDOR frequencies comparable to what can be extracted from ESEEM experiments. Such comparability is demonstrated for examples of nitrogen ENDOR of photoexcited triplet states of the primary donor in photosynthetic reaction centers and related compounds.

A time-resolved Electron Nuclear Double Resonance (ENDOR) study has been made of the photo-excited triplet state of free-base tetraphenylporphyrin in a partially aligned sample with crystalline toluene as the host matrix. This has permitted measurement of the hyperfine tensor elements for each of the different groups of equivalent protons in the reference frame of the zero-field splitting tensor.

Cation radicals of the primary electron donor (D + ) in bacterial photosynthesis were investigated by high field, high frequency (95 GHz) EPR. Measurements on frozen solutions of D + , a dimeric π-cation radical, of various organisms ( Rps. viridis, Rb. sphaeroides, Chloroflexus aurantiacus and a heterodimer mutant) are reported, revealing differences in the principal values of the G -tensor. Elements of a theory relating the magnitudes of G principal values to the electronic structure are discussed.

Porphyrin quinones (P-Q's), covalently linked via different aliphatic bridges, have been synthesized and studied in their (porphyrin) cationic and (semiquinone) anionic radical states by EPR, ENDOR and TRIPLE resonance techniques. Time-resolved and steady-state photoexcitation experiments showed that intra- and intermolecular electron transfer (ET) processes occur in these systems, both in isotropic and reversed micellar solution. Analysis of the experimental data showed the occurrence of photochemical redox processes which result in the formation of hydroquinoid and chlorin type derivatives. Strong polarisation effects were observed for the doublet species - generated by intermolecular ET - under steady-state illumination. It is demonstrated that the polarisation pattern can be explained by the encounter of a triplet and a doublet species allowing the radical triplet pair mechanism to occur. Using a porphyrin linked to a redox active crown ether quinone, complexation of sodium cations in the crown gave rise to well resolved sodium ENDOR lines with an unusual high spin density at the alkali metal ion. Moreover, interesting photochemically induced conformational changes, such as folding and unfolding of donor and acceptor with respect to one another in the case of a flexible butylene bridge, could be detected.

Various time resolved EPR methods are applied to different test samples to demonstrate the abilities of pulsed high-field EPR spectroscopy. Two-pulse-echo field swept EPR spectroscopy on a nitroxide radical shows the increased spectral resolution by separating different spin systems by their relaxation properties. Additionally N14 electron-spin-echo-envelope-modulation (ESEEM) is observed for these systems at fields as high as 3.5 T. Thus, the N14 hyperfine interaction couplings can be probed by ESEEM and pulsed ENDOR (electron-nuclear-double-resonance) experiments. The sensitivity of pulsed ENDOR experiments is compared with cw-ENDOR. The different linewidths and amplitudes of the two methods are discussed. Transient nutation experiments on light induced triplet states demonstrate the high sensitivity and time resolution of high-field pulsed EPR. The sensitivity and time resolution of our 95 GHz spectrometer are determined and compared with pulsed X-band EPR spectrometer performances.

Fourier transform EPR spectroscopy was employed in studying the electron transfer (ET) and the quenching mechanisms of the photoexcited triplet state of C[sub 60] (electron donor) in the presence of the electron acceptor tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) in a benzonitrile solution. The ET reaction product, which is the stable anion radical TCNE[sup [minus]], interacts with [sup 3]C[sub 60] (both detected by EPR in the liquid phase), leading to chemically induced dynamic electron polarization of TCNE[sup [minus]], via triplet-doublet mixing mechanism. 30 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

Liquid solution ENDOR and TRIPLE resonance experiments have been performed on texaphyrin radical anions generated by sodium reduction in tetrahydrofuran. Six proton and two nitrogen hyperfine couplings could be determined, including their signs. The results were compared with theoretical isotropic hyperfine couplings. They were calculated for energy-minimized texaphyrin structures, including the sodium metallo-derivative, by state-of-the-art SCF-MO methods (RHF-INDO/SP). This comparison suggests that in the course of the alkali metal reduction of texaphyrin the acidic hydrogen in the macrocycle is replaced by sodium.

Single crystals of 17α,21-dihydroxyprogesterone were γ-irradiated at 295 K and studied using X-band ESR and ENDOR. Two types of radical were observed and a structure was assigned to the specimen by analysing the orientational variation of the spectra. The first radical is formed by abstraction of the hydrogen atom from the C(6) carbon while the unpaired electron is delocalized onto the system O(3) C(3) C(4) C(5) C(6). The second radical is formed by attachment of the hydrogen atom to the oxygen O(3) of the carbonyl group, and delocalization of the unpaired electron onto the atoms C(3), C(4) and C(5). The effect of substitution of hydroxyl groups on the hyperfine splitting tensor has been also analysed.

The mechanochemical activation of polycrystalline mixtures of porphyrins and quinones (as well as some other donors and quinones) was found to produce large concentrations of triplet radical pairs with unusual stability in the solid state matrix. High-field/high-frequency (2 mm band) EPR experiments allowed observation of low-temperature spin polarization and determination of the sign of the zero-field splitting parameters D. They appeared to be positive, in contrast to most in chemically or photochemically produced donor—acceptor radical pairs, for which the point dipole approximation (D