Synthesis and reduction kinetics of sterically shielded pyrrolidine nitroxides.

A series of sterically shielded pyrrolidine nitroxides were synthesized, and their reduction by ascorbate (vitamin C) indicate that nitroxide 3, a tetraethyl derivative of 3-carboxy-PROXYL, is reduced at the slowest rate among known nitroxides, i.e., at a 60-fold slower rate than that for 3-carboxy-PROXYL.