Syringic acid (3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid) and sinapinic acid (3,5
-dimethoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid) are used as model compounds to correlate
electron spin resonance (ESR) spectral data with structural and spin distr
ibution information obtained from ab initio (Gaussian94) calculations. ESR
spectra and computational results will be used to interpret the antioxidant
activity of natural phenolic compounds. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.