The radiation chemistry of ethanol and diphosphopyridine nucleotide and its bearing on dehydrogenase action

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Abstract
Gamma radiation acts on aqueous ethanol to produce acetaldehyde. The effect of dose and ethanol concn. on the yield is descr. for air-saturated solns. The yield of acetaldehyde in O2-free solns. is smaller than in the presence of air, and when DPN+ is added, the yield increases and DPNH appears. DPN+ solns. do not produce DPNH when irradiated alone in air, or in the absence of O2, or in the presence of H2-When DPN+ is added to air-saturated ethanol solns., the acetaldehyde yield is almost the same as in the absence of DPN+, and DPNH does not appear. It is considered that the free C2H4OH radical is responsible for the production of DPNH. This reaction is inhibited by dissolved O2 and does not occur as a step in the action of the alcohol dehydrogenases.