Study of Oxidative cleavage of L-cysteine with tert-butyl chromate (TBC)

Birendra Kumar Vishwakarma; Dr. Mirtunjay Kumar Dipak

doi:10.69980/xqc2em39

Authors

Birendra Kumar Vishwakarma Research Scholar, Department of chemistry, NPU Medininagar
Dr. Mirtunjay Kumar Dipak Asst. Professor, Department of Chemistry, GLA College, Medininagar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69980/xqc2em39

Keywords:

L-Cysteine, Oxidative Cleavage, tert-Butyl Chromate, Chromium (VI) Oxidation, Solvent Effect, Dichloromethane, Acetone, Benzene, n-Hexane, Sulphur-Containing Amino Acids, Reaction Mechanism

Abstract

The oxidative cleavage of L-cysteine, a biologically important sulfur-containing amino acid, was investigated using tert-butyl chromate (TBC) as a chromium^(VI)-based oxidizing agent under homogeneous conditions. The study examined the influence of solvent environment on oxidation efficiency, reaction rate, and product formation. Reactions were carried out in dichloromethane, acetone, benzene, n-hexane, 1,4-dioxane, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol. The proposed oxidation pathway involves initial electron transfer from the thiol group to Cr ^(VI), followed by formation of sulfur-oxidized intermediates and subsequent cleavage. Polar aprotic solvents, particularly acetone and dichloromethane, generally promoted efficient oxidation, whereas non-polar solvents showed comparatively lower reactivity. Reaction progress and products were evaluated using TLC, UV–Visible, FTIR, NMR, and GC–MS techniques. The findings demonstrate that solvent polarity and solute–solvent interactions significantly influence TBC-mediated oxidative cleavage and provide useful mechanistic insight into chromium ^(VI)-induced oxidation of sulfur-containing biomolecules.