Selective Excision of C5 from <scp>D</scp>‐Ribose in the Gas Phase by Low‐Energy Electrons (0–1 eV): Implications for the Mechanism of DNA Damage

Abstract

Attachment of low-energy electrons to D-ribose triggers a series of complex decomposition reactions associated with the loss of neutral water molecules as well as the excision of C-containing units leading to the degradation of the cyclic structure of the sugar. This excision of C-containing neutral fragments involves C5 exclusively. The sugar unit is thought to play a key role in the mechanism of DNA damage by low-energy electrons.