Exploring the Reactivity of Flavins with Nucleophiles Using a Theoretical and Experimental Approach

Abstract

Covalent adducts of flavin cofactors with nucleophiles play an important role in non‐canonical function of flavoenzymes as well as in flavin‐based catalysis. Herein, the interaction of flavin derivatives including substituted flavins (isoalloxazines), 1,10‐ethylene‐bridged flavinium salts, and non‐substituted alloxazine and deazaflavin with selected nucleophiles was investigated using an experimental and computational approach. Triphenylphosphine or trimethylphosphine, 1‐nitroethan‐1‐ide , and methoxide were selected as representatives of neutral soft, anionic soft, and hard nucleophiles, respectively. The interactions were investigated using UV/Vis and 1H NMR spectroscopy as well as by DFT calculations. The position of nucleophilic attack estimated using the calculated Gibbs free energy values was found to correspond with the experimental data, favouring the addition of phosphine and 1‐nitroethan‐1‐ide into position N(5) and methoxide into position C(10a) of 1,10‐ethylene‐bridged flavinium salts. The calculated Gibbs free energy values were found to correlate with the experimental redox potentials of the flavin derivatives tested. These findings can be utilized as valuable tools for the design of artificial flavin‐based catalytic systems or investigating the mechanism of flavoenzymes.