Reactivity of adrenaline toward alkoxyl radicals and carbonyl triplet states

The reactivities of adrenaline toward hydrogen abstraction by the tert-butoxyl radical and the excited triplet state of benzophenone have been examined in solution using laser flash photolysis techniques. The rate constants obtained in acetonitrile-rich solvents are 13 and 1.5 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) for benzophenone triplet and the tert-butoxyl radical, respectively. Adrenaline is a better hydrogen donor than phenol, but not as efficient as alpha-tocopherol.