Molecular basis of the protonophoric and uncoupling activities of the potent uncoupler SF-6847 [3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzylidene)malononitrile) and derivatives. Regulation of their electronic structures by restricted intramolecular rotation.

We reported recently (Yoshikawa, K. and Terada, H. (1982) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 104, 7644-7646) that the potent uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation SF-6847 [3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzylidene)malononitrile) shows unique intramolecular restricted rotation of the malononitrile moiety. In this study, values for the activation energy Ea of the restricted rotation of SF-6847 derivatives with the same alkyl chain R in both ortho positions of the phenolic hydroxyl group were determined from the temperature-dependent change in the 1H-NMR signals of their aromatic protons. The Ea values of the neutral forms of these derivatives were found to be the same irrespective of R, but those of the anionic forms increased with increase in the alkyl chain length of R. It was found that the restricted rotation of the malononitrile moiety regulates its electron-withdrawing ability in such a way as to keep the acid dissociability of these derivatives similar, overcoming the effect of steric hindrance by R. The protonophoric activity of these derivatives, in a phospholipid bilayer membrane and their uncoupling activity in rat-liver mitochondria were both found to depend on Ea of their anionic forms. The stability of the uncoupler anions regulated by the restricted rotation of the malononitrile group in a nonpolar membrane environment was found to be important for exhibition of these activities. The hydrophobicity of the anionic forms of these derivatives was suggested also to be affected by the intramolecular rotation.