Photoinduced reduction of thymine and uracil derivatives by hypophosphite: unusual high quantum yield of chromophore loss

Abstract

The quantum yield of chromophore loss of thymine, uracil and their corresponding nucleosides and nucleoside-5′- monophosphates undergoing irradiation with 254 nm UV light was found to be sharply enhanced by hypophosphite; thymine and uracil were reduced by hypophosphite to give 5,6-dihydrothymine and 5,6-dihydrouracil respectively.