Evaluation of Antiradical Activity and Reducing Capacity of Synthesized Bispyridinium Dibromides Obtained by Quaternisation of 4-Pyridyl-1,4-dihydropyridines with Propargyl Bromide

New bispyridinium dibromides based on the 1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) cycle were synthesised in the reaction between 4-pyridyl-1,4-DHP derivatives and propargyl bromide. It has been shown that variation of the substituent position on the pyridine as well as small changes in the electronic nature of the 1,4-DHP cycle as a result of the substituent nature at the 3 and 5 positions do not affect the course of the reaction and in all cases the corresponding bispyridinium dibromides 4a–e were formed. The antiradical activity, using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine as a free radical scavenger, and the reducing capacity using phosphomolybdenumcomplexes have been evaluated for the newly synthesised compounds 4a–e. It has been shown that all tested 1,4-DHP bispyridinium dibromides 4a–e possess reducing capacity and antiradical properties. Moreover, the reducing capacity results could be explained by the influence of the electronic nature of the substituent at the 3 and 5 positions of the 1,4-DHP cycle.