Comparison of electrochemical and enzymic oxidation of 3-methyluric acid

Abstract

The electrochemical oxidation of 3-methyluric acid has been studied in the pH range 3.2–11.3 at pyrolytic graphite and glassy carbon electrodes. The conjugate base is the species oxidized over the whole pH range studied. Intermediates generated have been characterized in terms of their UV spectra and kinetics of decay, and products have been separated and characterized. The intermediates, formed and spectral and kinetics studies, during the peroxidase-catalysed oxidation of 3-methyluric acid indicated identical behaviour to that observed in electrochemical oxidation. It has thus been concluded that the electrochemical and enzymic oxidation of 3-methyluric acid proceed by an identical EC mechanism.