Allyl radical resonance stabilization

This process terminates the chain growth. It is an energetically favorable process because the resulting radical is allylic and resonance-stabilized ... 

The CH bond in propene is weaker than the CH bond of ethane because the allyl radical is stabilized by resonance. The ethyl radical has no such resonance stabilization. The difference between these bond dissociation energies provides an estimate of the resonance stabilization of the allyl radical 13 kcal/mol (54 kJ/mol). 

Like allylic cations, allylic radicals are stabilized by resonance delocalization. For example, Mechanism 15-2 shows the mechanism of free-radical bromination of cyclohexene. Substitution occurs entirely at the allylic position, where abstraction of a hydrogen gives a resonance-stabilized allylic radical as the intermediate. 

Allylic radicals are stabilized by resonance, making them more stable than 3° radicals (15.10). 

If we were to examine either A or B alone, we might decide incorrectly that it resembled a primary radical. Thus, we might estimate the stability of the allyl radical as approximately that of a primary radical. In doing so, we would greatly underestimate the stability of the allyl radical. Resonance theory tells us, however, that since A and B are equivalent resonance structures, the allyl radical should be much more stable than either, that is, much more stable than a primary radical. This correlates with what experiments have shown to be true the allyl tatlical is even more stable than a tertiary radical. 

As we have seen in Section 10.1, allyl radical is stabilized by electron delocalization expressed as resonance between contributing Lewis structures... 

In radical additions of HBr, the reaction regiochemistry depends on the relative stability of two possible radicals. We remember that radical stability is modeled on carbocation stability, so 3 ° > 2 ° > 1 °. Benzylic and allylic radicals are stabilized by resonance. For example, radical addition of HBr to 1-phenylpropene proceeds via the stabilized benzylic radical (Figure 11.42). The reactions are generally stereoselective for anti-dAAition, but not stereospecific. Although the existence of bromonium radicals has been postulated, these are not comparable in stability to bromonium cations. 

Stabilizing resonances also occur in other systems. Some well-known ones are the allyl radical and square cyclobutadiene. It has been shown that in these cases, the ground-state wave function is constructed from the out-of-phase combination of the two components [24,30]. In Section HI, it is shown that this is also a necessary result of Pauli s principle and the permutational symmetry of the polyelectronic wave function When the number of electron pairs exchanged in a two-state system is even, the ground state is the out-of-phase combination [28]. Three electrons may be considered as two electron pairs, one of which is half-populated. When both electron pahs are fully populated, an antiaromatic system arises ("Section HI). 

Allyl alcohol, CH2=CH—CH2OH (2-propen-l-ol) [107-18-6] is the simplest unsaturated alcohol. One hydrogen atom can easily be abstracted from the aHyhc methylene (—CH2—) to form a radical. Since the radical is stabilized by resonance with the C=C double bond, it is very difficult to get high molecular weight polymers by radical polymerization. In spite of the fact that aHyl alcohol has been produced commercially for some years (1), it has not found use as a monomer in large volumes as have other vinyl monomers. 

Resonance theory can also account for the stability of the allyl radical. For example, to form an ethylene radical from ethylene requites a bond dissociation energy of 410 kj/mol (98 kcal/mol), whereas the bond dissociation energy to form an allyl radical from propylene requites 368 kj/mol (88 kcal/mol). This difference results entirely from resonance stabilization. The electron spin resonance spectmm of the allyl radical shows three, not four, types of hydrogen signals. The infrared spectmm shows one type, not two, of carbon—carbon bonds. These data imply the existence, at least on the time scale probed, of a symmetric molecule. The two equivalent resonance stmctures for the allyl radical are as follows ... 

Reaction Mechanism. High temperature vapor-phase chlorination of propylene [115-07-17 is a free-radical mechanism in which substitution of an allyhc hydrogen is favored over addition of chlorine to the double bond. Abstraction of allyhc hydrogen is especially favored since the allyl radical intermediate is stabilized by resonance between two symmetrical stmctures, both of which lead to allyl chloride. 

The stabilizing effects of vinyl groups (in allylic radicals) and phenyl groups (in benzyl radicals) are very significant and can be satisfactorily rationalized in resonance terminology ... 

The chain propagation step consists of a reaction of allylic radical 3 with a bromine molecule to give the allylic bromide 2 and a bromine radical. The intermediate allylic radical 3 is stabilized by delocalization of the unpaired electron due to resonance (see below). A similar stabilizing effect due to resonance is also possible for benzylic radicals a benzylic bromination of appropriately substituted aromatic substrates is therefore possible, and proceeds in good yields. 

The allylic resonance may give rise to formation of a mixture of isomeric allylic bromides, e.g. 6 and 8 from but-l-ene. The product ratio depends on the relative stability of the two possible allylic radical species 5 and 7 ... 

Simple alkyl halides can be prepared by radical halogenation of alkanes, but mixtures of products usually result. The reactivity order of alkanes toward halogenation is identical to the stability order of radicals R3C- > R2CH- > RCH2-. Alkyl halides can also be prepared from alkenes by reaction with /V-bromo-succinimide (NBS) to give the product of allylic bromination. The NBS bromi-nation of alkenes takes place through an intermediate allylic radical, which is stabilized by resonance. 

We saw in Section 6.9 that the stability order of alkyl carbocations is 3° > 2° > 1° > —CH3. To this list we must also add the resonance-stabilized allvl and benzyl cations. Just as allylic radicals are unusually stable because the... 

The allylic-type furylic radical 6 is resonance stabilized to such a degree that its reactivity in promoting propagation by adding onto another furan ring is minimal. The fate of these radicals will simply be to couple with another radical present in the reaction medium (primary or secondary) or to disproportionate to regenerate the furan character of the ring26. ... 

The allyl radical is better stabilized by resonance with the adjacent double bond than the cyanomethylene radical and is, therefore, less reactive. 

This is generally attributed to resonance stabilization of the allylic radical ... 

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