Pulse radiolytic investigation of the reaction of hydroxyl radicals with gentamycin

Abstract

Hydroxyl radicals were generated radiolytically in N2O-saturated aqueous solutions of the aminoglycoside antibiotic, gentamycin. Using the pulse radiolysis technique, the rate constant of OH radicals with gentamycin determined was 1.2·109 dm3·mol−1·s−1. Upon.OH attack a transient species with an absorption maximum at 270 nm is observed which decays by second-order kinetics within the solute concentration range of 3.2·10−5 to 1·10−3mol·dm−3. Transient species undergoes transformation to a permanent product absorbing between 260 and 340 nm with maximum absorption at 300 nm. Rate constant of the reaction of bimolecular decay of gentamycin radicals, k (Gen.+Gen.) was found to be ≈ 1.4·107 dm3·mol−1·s−1.