Formula 1 is an antioxidant compound, wherein R, R1, or D is an antioxidant substituent; R and D are each independently selected from hydrogen or groups containing cysteine, thiols, disulfides, amino acids, amines, amides, or carboxylic acids; when one of R or D is hydrogen, the other includes a thiol, disulfide, or carboxylic acid; A is CO, SO, SO.sub.2, or C.dbd.S; E is one or more ring groups which are aromatic, carbocyclic, and/or heterocyclic 5, 6 and 7 membered rings being mono, bi, tri, tetra, penta, hexa, hepta or octa cyclic fused rings that are substituted or unsubstituted, each heterocyclic ring can include hetero atoms chosen from to O, S, N, Se, or P; each R1 is at a para, meta, and/or ortho position; n is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 for each ring; and each R1 is hydrogen or an antioxidant substituent. ##STR00001##