Determination of superoxide (O2−) radical anion reaction rates using pulse radiolysis

Abstract

Pulse radiolysis has been used to measure the rates of reactions of O₂⁻ with electron donors and acceptors, either directly or by a competition kinetic method using p-benzoquinone. O₂⁻ readily reduces quinones and various redox dyes and enzymes, and oxidizes ascorbate and catecholamines, but is quite unreactive towards aromatic amino acids, nucleic acids, sugars and alcohols.