T. Henriksen, W. Snipes
Mar 1, 1970
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Influential Citations
10
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Journal
Radiation research
Abstract
Frozen solutions of dihydrothymine in H2 SO4, irradiated at 77°K, contain large amounts of thymine after melting. Concentration studies show that the thymine must be produced mainly by indirect mechanisms. Low-temperature UV absorption measurements reveal that thymine is not present after irradiation at 77°K, but is formed upon warming of the samples to about 160° to 200°K. ESR experiments suggest that the 5-thymyl radical is an intermediate in the production of thymine. At 77°K the irradiated samples contain only H atoms and some other unidentified H2 SO4 radicals. The 5-thymyl radicals are formed upon warming to temperatures above 105°K, and they disappear in the temperature range at which thymine is formed.