Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Autoxidation is an autocatalytic free-radical chain reaction responsible for the oxidative destruction of organic molecules in biological cells, foods, plastics, petrochemicals, fuels, and the environment. In cellular membranes, lipid autoxidation (peroxidation) is linked with oxidative stress, age-related diseases, and cancers. The established mechanism of autoxidation proceeds via H-atom abstraction through a cyclic network of peroxy-hydroperoxide-mediated free-radical chain reactions. For a series of model unsaturated lipids, we present evidence for an autoxidation mechanism, initiated by hydroxyl radical (OH) addition to C=C bonds and propagated by chain reactions involving Criegee intermediates (CIs). This mechanism leads to unexpectedly rapid autoxidation even in the presence of water, implying that as reactive intermediates, CI could play a much more prominent role in chemistries beyond the atmosphere.