Synthesis of triphenylphosphonium vitamin E derivatives as mitochondria-targeted antioxidants.

A series of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants comprising a lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cation attached to the antioxidant chroman moiety of vitamin E by an alkyl linker have been prepared. The synthesis of a series of mitochondria-targeted vitamin E derivatives with a range of alkyl linkers gave compounds of different hydrophobicities. This work will enable the dependence of antioxidant defence on hydrophobicity to be determined in vivo.