A new generation of glutathione peroxidase enzyme mimic based on organotellurium was introduced. The catalytic cycles of these mimics, tellura and tellenol, were clarified by density functional theory and solvent-assisted proton exchange procedure as an indirect proton exchange chain. From the kinetic viewpoint, the oxidation of tellura (ΔG 6 ¼ = 23.55 kcal mol −1 ) was considered as the rate-determining step using a single-step process. Various behaviors of tellenol were examined in the reduction of tellurenylsulfide based on methanethiol nucleophilicity. On the basis of the turnover frequency calculations, during the catalytic cycles of tellura and tellenol, the rate of the catalytic cycle of tellura is faster than that of tellenol. A decrease in the electron density and an increase in the Laplacian from the reactant to the transition states are evidence of the bond rupture, whereas an opposite change is evidence of the bond formation. Finally, different analyses of the electron location function and localized orbital locator within the quantum theory of atoms in molecules were applied and discussed. The covalent nature of the intramolecular interactions suggests that the TeÁ Á ÁN interaction is stronger than that of TeÁ Á ÁH. Finally, based on different analyses, tellura can be considered the more reactive GPx mimic than tellenol. K E Y W O R D Sglutathione, peroxidase, mimic, tellurium, turnover frequency, GPx mimics

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To elucidate the role of a derivative of ebselen as a mimic of the antioxidant selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase, density functional theory and solvent-assisted proton exchange (SAPE) were applied to model the reaction mechanism in a catalytic cycle. This mimic plays the role of glutathione peroxidase through a four-step catalytic cycle. The first step is described as the oxidation of 1 in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, while selenoxide is reduced by methanthiol at the second step. In the third step of the reaction, the reduction of selenenylsulfide occurs by methanthiol, and the selenenic acid is dehydrated at the final step. Based on the kinetic parameters, step 4 is the rate-determining step (RDS) of the reaction. The bond strength of the atoms involved in the RDS is discussed with the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM). Low value of electron density, ρ(r), and positive Laplacian values are the evidence for the covalent nature of the hydrogen bonds rupture (O-H, O-H). A change in the sign of the Laplacian, L(r), from the positive value in the reactant to a negative character at the transition state indicates the depletion of the charge density, confirming the N-H and O-Se bond breaking. The analysis of electron location function (ELF) and localized orbital locator (LOL) of the Se-N and Se-O bonds have been done by multi-WFN program. High values of ELF and LOL at the transition state regions between the Se, N, and O atoms display the bond formation. Finally, the main donor-acceptor interaction energies were analyzed using the natural bond orbital analysis for investigation of their stabilization effects on the critical bonds at the RDS.

The catalytic cycle of a new derivative of ebselen, 1, was elucidated via three steps by the density functional theory and solvent-assisted proton exchange procedure involving indirect proton exchange through a hydrogen-bonded transfer network. Different behaviors of the aromatic and aliphatic thiols were investigated in the reduction of selenoxide (step 2 → 3) and selenurane (step 3 → 1) based on their nucleophilicity. The reduction of selenoxide in the presence of thiophenol (ΔG = 15.9 kcal·mol) is faster than that of methanethiol (ΔG = 29.3 kcal·mol), and methanethiol makes the reduction of selenoxide unspontaneous and kinetically unfavorable (ΔG = 2.8 kcal·mol). The nucleophilic attack may be enhanced by using the thiophenol backbone at the selenium center to lower the energy barrier of the selenoxide reduction (ΔG = 15.9 kcal·mol). On the basis of the turnover frequency calculations, during the catalytic cycle, the rate of the reaction was analyzed and discussed. Low values of the electron density and Laplacian at the transition states are the evidence of the covalent O-H and O-O bonds rupture in the presence of methanethiol and thiophenol. The nature of the critical bond points was characterized, using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules, based on the electron location function and localized orbital locator values. Finally, the charge transfer process at the rate-determining step was investigated based on the natural bond orbital analysis.