DNA and Double-Stranded Oligonucleotides - Free-Radical-Induced DNA Damage and Its Repair - page 398

Triggered by a thiol, they undergo very amusing rearrangements leading to bi-
radicals. Examples are shown in reactions (58) and (59) and reactions (61) and
(62). For NCS and 2-mercaptoethanol, the trigger rate constant is 4 dm 3 mol −1 s − 1
at pH 7.8 (Povirk and Goldberg 1983).
Upon the thiol-induced breakdown of the enediyne system, two vinyl-type radi-
cals are formed. Although such radicals are good H-abstractors (Chap. 6.5),
there is considerable selectivity in the sequence tertiary > secondary > primary