Phenothiazine derivatives as new antioxidants for the autoxidation of methyl linoleate and their reaction mechanisms

The effect of new antioxidants, such as phenothiazine derivatives, on the autoxidation of methyl linoleate was evaluated by estimating the induction period using the weighing method. Peroxide values (iodometry and IR), refractive indices, mol wts, and UV and IR spectra were measured to investigate the extent of the autoxidation. The induction period evaluated from the weighing method gives almost the same value as that from the peroxide values. It was shown that some new phenothiazine derivatives are remarkably effective antioxidants, and, besides, the mechanism for the autoxidation of methyl linoleate containing phenothiazine derivatives as antioxidants is probably of the same type as that for the substrate alone. This study also investigated the reaction mechanism of phenothiazine derivative antioxidants by determining the electron spin resonance spectra for the antioxidants in the autoxidation of methyl linoleate. Then, the following mechanism was proposed. That is, within the induction period, these inhibitors hold stable nitroxide radicals (>NO*) in the reaction between the antioxidant amino radical (>N*), produced by the reaction of the antioxidant with ROO* or O₂, and the peroxy radical (ROO*). Besides, the more superior the phenothiazine derivative antioxidant, the more inactive the antioxidant makes oxygen and the peroxy radical for the methyl linoleate autoxidation and also for the antioxidant oxidation. Presented at the 12th World Congress of ISF, Milan, 1974.