For the speciation of Cr(V) intermediates formed during the intracellular reduction of Cr(VI) to be
understood, the intramolecular competition between 1,2-diol and 2-hydroxy acid coordination to Cr(V) as a
function of pH has been studied in quinic acid complexes. The Cr(V)-2-hydroxy acid complex, K[Cr(O)(qaH3)2]·H2O (qaH5 = 1R,3R,4R,5R-1,3,4,5-tetrahydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid, I), has been isolated and
characterized. In aqueous solutions at pH values <4.0, K[Cr(O)(qaH3)2]·H2O gives two EPR signals (g
iso =
1.9787, A
iso = 17.2 × 10-4 cm-1; g
iso = 1.9791, A
iso = 16.4 × 10-4 cm-1). The relative intensities of the
signals are independent of [qaH5]/[Cr(V)], and of increasing [qaH5] and [Cr(V)] at constant [qaH5]/[Cr(V)]
and pH values. These signals are consistent with those found with well-characterized Cr(V)-2-hydroxy acid
complexes and are assigned to two geometric isomers of the [Cr(O)(O
1,O
7-qaH3)2]- linkage isomer. Both the
2-hydroxy acid (O
1,O
7) and vic-diol (cis-O
3,O
4; trans-O
4,O
5) groups of qaH5 are viable Cr(V) donors. In the
reduction of Cr(VI) by GSH in the presence of an excess of qaH5, the EPR spectra are similar to that of
K[Cr(O)(qaH3)2]·H2O at low pH values (<4.0). At intermediate pH values (pH 5−7.5) additional signals
appear (g
iso = 1.9791, g
iso = 1.9794, g
iso = 1.9799), which have EPR spectral data consistent with the presence
of Cr(V)-qa linkage isomers, featuring one of each donor type (1 × 2-hydroxy acid; 1 × diol). By using EPR
spectral simulation, we deduced that the cis-diol linkage isomer, [Cr(O)(O
1,O
7-qaH3)(O
3,O
4-qaH2)]2-, is an
order of magnitude more thermodynamically stable to intramolecular ligand exchange compared to the trans-diol linkage isomer, [Cr(O)(O
1,O
7-qaH3)(O
4,O
5-qaH2)]2-. At pH values >7.5, the Cr(V)-qa EPR spectra reveal
two triplets (g
iso = 1.9800, g
iso = 1.9802), which are ascribed to geometric isomers of a bis-diol Cr(V)-qa
complex, [Cr(O)(O
3,O
4-qaH2)2]3-. The concentration of the trans-diol isomer, [Cr(O)(O
4,O
5-qaH2)2]3-, is
predicted to be negligible. This assignment is supported by the similarity of the EPR spectral data with those
formed in the Cr(VI) reduction by GSH in the presence of the related polyol (cis-O
3,O
4; trans-O
4,O
5) ligand,
shikimic acid (3R,4R,5R-3,4,5-trihydroxycyclohexenecarboxylic acid, II), which does not possess a 2-hydroxy
acid moiety. The relative intensities of the EPR signals of the Cr(V)-sa species (g
iso = 1.9800, g
iso = 1.9801),
ascribed to geometric isomers of [Cr(O)(O
3,O
4-saH)2]3-, are independent of increasing pH and of [saH4] at
pH values >4.0. The results show that 2-hydroxy acid ligands are favored with respect to 1,2-diols for stabilizing
Cr(V) at low pH values relevant to phagocytosis of insoluble chromates (pH ∼4), but the opposite is the case
when soluble chromates are taken up by the cells at pH = 7.4. Both classes of ligands compete effectively for
complexation of Cr(V) compared to glutathione at all pH values studied.