Popis: |
The trend in antioxidant activity of four cinnamic acid antioxidants, derived on the basis of their liquid-phase phenolic O H bond dissociation enthalpies, is determined theoretically, with the aid of the polarizable continuum model at the density functional theory level. Three solvents, differing in their hydrogen-bonding ability and polarity—n-heptane, acetonitrile, and ethanol—were used to model different environmental situations. The trends in solution-phase antioxidant activity appeared different in each solvent; still, the theoretical antioxidant activity trend derived in n-heptane was in excellent agreement with the experimental one in the lipid systems and the gas-phase system. Different ortho substituents show notably different solvent effects. These results could lead to the determination of reliable antioxidant activity trends in real-solution environments of interest in food or biological science frameworks. |