Synthesis and electrochemical properties of structurally modified flavin compounds

Four structurally modified flavin compounds have been synthesized and characterized for their redox potential by chemical reduction with sodium dithionite. Besides the previously reported 1- and 5-deazariboflavin, a 7,8-didemethyl derivative and an 8-isopropylriboflavin have been obtained. The synthesis of these compounds started in all cases from appropriately substituted anilines that were condensed with the ribityl chain, followed by completion of the annealed three-ring structure. The didemethyl- and the isopropyl compounds gave absorption maxima similar to riboflavin (436 and 448 nm, respectively), whereas 1-deazariboflavin showed a bathochromically shifted absorption (λ_max = 537 nm), and that of 5-deazariboflavin was hypsochromically shifted (λ_max = 400 nm). The midpoint potentials (E₀′) of the four modified flavin compounds were determined by potentiometric titration, using riboflavin as a reference compound. Both alkyl-modified flavins showed slightly less negative midpoint potentials, whereas both deaza compounds had more negative midpoint values compared to the reference compound.