Radiation-induced degradation of hydroxyl-containing amino acids in aqueous solutions

Abstract

The set of data presented in this work shows that the radiolysis of hydroxyl-containing amino acids in aqueous solutions results in their degradation with -C-C- bond cleavage, which leads to both the decarboxylation of parent molecules and the removal of side substituents. The probability of these reactions mainly depends on the pH of the solution. Aminyl radicals or aminium radical cations, which are formed in the interaction of serine and threonine with ·OH radicals via the mechanism of electron or hydrogen-atom transfer from the amino groups of the parent substances, play an important role in these degradation processes.