Abstract:
DFT calculations were applied to compare the antioxidant potential of four major catechins present in green tea. The thermodynamic parameters related to three key mechanisms of primary antioxidant action were investigated in detail. Molecular orbital energies, absolute hardness, electronegativity, and electrophilicity index, which contributed to the radical scavenging were also investigated. The radical scavenging potential of each hydroxyl group of these polyphenolic antioxidants were investigated independently.