Alkyl radicals from fragmentation

In contrast to esters, elimination of the alkyl radical from the thiol site is the major fragmentation process. Ethylene sulfide is eliminated from thioesters with longer alkyl chains. Aromatic dithiocarboxylic acid esters usually fragment in two steps to the aryl cation. 

Single-electron transfer from a borate anion particle to the excited polymethine cation generates a dye radical and an aLkylphenylbotanyl radical. The aLkylphenylbotanyl radical fragments to form an active alkyl radical. It is the alkyl radical particles that initiate the polymerization reactions (101). 

Mass Spectrometry Aldehydes and ketones typically give a prominent molecular- ion peak in their mass spectra. Aldehydes also exhibit an M— 1 peak. A major fragmentation pathway for both aldehydes and ketones leads to formation of acyl cations (acyliurn ions) by cleavage of an alkyl group from the carbonyl. The most intense peak in the mass spectrum of diethyl ketone, for exanple, is m/z 57, conesponding to loss of ethyl radical from the molecular- ion. 

The minor products are generally 1-3% of the total yield and arose from (a) side-chain fragmentation producing hydrogen and low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons (b) addition of these fragments to the free olefin (c) dimerization and trimerization of the free olefin (d) fragmentation of the alkyl radical and cation intermediates. 

Nozaki reported the reaction of trialkylboranes with styryl sulfoxides and sulfones. Alkyl radicals generated from trialkylboranes add at the -position of /3-styryl sulfoxides and sulfones (a- to the sulfur atom). The resulting radicals fragment and deliver the -styryl adducts [108]. Interestingly, the sulfoxides eliminate very rapidly leading to partially stereospecific substitution (Scheme 44). The radical nature of the process is demonstrated by the presence of a side product derived from the solvent (THF) by hydrogen atom abstraction. 

As data for the rates of spin-trapping reactions are accumulated, so it becomes possible to use the competition experiment in reverse , i.e. to determine rates of rearrangement, fragmentation, atom transfer, etc. which can compete with spin trapping. An attempt to estimate rates of decarbonylation of acyl radicals depended on this approach (Perkins and Roberts, 1973). Although the results obtained were intuitively reasonable, they depended on the assumption that the rate of scavenging of acyl radicals by MNP would be no different from that measured for the butoxycarbonyl radical. This still awaits experimental verification. Another application, reported recently, was to the rates of rearrangement (23) of a series of (o-(alkoxycarbonyl)-alkyl radicals... 

A wide variety of peroxides have been used to produce alkyl radicals, either directly as fragments of the decomposition of peroxides, or indirectly by hydrogen abstraction from suitable solvents. The production of alkyl radicals used in homolytic alkylation has been accomplished by thermal or photochemical homolysis and recently also by redox reactions due to the possibilities offered by alkylation in acidic aqueous solution. 

Cleavage of a benzylic carbon-carbon bond is observed from aromatic radical-cations in cases where the resulting fragments are stabilised by substituents. Bond cleavage occurs, for example, with dialkylphenylcarbinols involving loss of the more stable alkyl radical and leaving a phenyl alkyl ketone [85, 86],... 

Some homolytic fragmentation reactions are driven by formation of small, stable molecules. Alkyl acyloxyl radicals (RCOp decarboxylate rapidly (fe > 1 x 10 s ) to give alkyl radicals, and even aryl acyloxyl radicals (ArCOp decarboxylate to aryl radicals with rate constants in the 10 s range." Azo radicals produced in the homolysis of azo initiators eliminate nitrogen rapidly. Elimination of carbon monoxide from acyl radicals occurs but is slow enough (fe 10" -10 such that the acyl radical can be trapped in a bimolecular process,... 

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