Hydrogen atoms, atomic fluorine abstraction

It is believed that polymer surface fluorination proceeds via a free radical mechanism, where fluorine abstracts hydrogen atoms from the hydrocarbon, and fluorine atoms are substituted.11 Of course, the precise conditions depend on the nature of the polymer in question and the surface properties required. 

There are no abstractable hydrogen atoms on CF30, so that reaction with 02 is negligible (k < 4 X 10-17 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 at 373 K Turnipseed et al., 1994 Niki et al., 1994). In addition, the C-F bond is too strong for decomposition to give a fluorine atom and CFzO to take place. However, CF3Q reacts with NO,... 

The methyl and trifluoromethyl radicals formed in the photolysis are assumed to abstract hydrogen, but not fluorine, atoms from the parent ketone. 

Of the two chain-propagating steps, then, step (2) is more difficult than step (3) (see Fig. 2.8). Once formed, methyl radicals react easily with any of the halogens it is how fast methyl radicals are formed that limits the rate of overall reaction. Fluorination is fast because fluorine atoms rapidly abstract hydrogen atoms from methane E cx. is only 1 kcal. lodination does not take place because iodine atoms. And it virtually impossible to abstract hydrogen from methane tLCt is more than 33 kcal. 

The reactions of F( P) atoms have been studied kinetically in a discharge-flow apparatus at 297 K. The major reaction channel for the F-hICl reaction forms IF + Cl, although a minor process yields CIF + I. Fluorine atoms react with CO and Xe slowly to yield COF2 and XeFj, respectively, but no reaction was detected with either He or Kr. Fluorine atoms abstracted hydrogen from HOF, generating OF radicals. The mechanisms of the reactions of F and OF radicals with NOF have been investigated by Schumacher et al. Quantum yields were shown to be... 

The experimental results which we will describe are primarily those obtained in this laboratory but a few experimental data exist which have been collected elsewhere. Our experimental program in fluorine atom chemistry has been motivated primarily by two facts which have also been important to studies performed by other methods (1) atomic fluorine abstraction of hydrogen atoms from appropriate molecules has been demonstrated to be an important class of reactions for chemical lasers W. In particular, the reactions of F + H2 HF + H and F + D DF + D have been investigated in great detail by various theoretical and experimental approaches (3-11) the latter reaction provides us with an example from the general class of reactions of fluorine atoms with diatomic molecules. (2) Substitution reactions of fluorine atoms with unsaturated hydrocarbons Involving the formation of C-F bonds frequently are observed to proceed through a "complex" which... 

The fluorination reaction is best described as a radical-chain process involving fluorine atoms (19) and hydrogen abstraction as the initiation step. If the molecule contains unsaturation, addition of fluorine also takes place (17). Gomplete fluorination of complex molecules can be conducted using this method (see Fluorine compounds, organic-direct fluorination). 

Consider abstraction of a hydrogen atom from propan( by fluorine atom. This can generate either of two propy radicals, depending on which hydrogen is attacked. 

The reactions of fluorine atoms with hydrocarbons are similar to those of active nitrogen in that they provide an essentially universal response. Fluorine atoms abstract H atoms from hydrocarbons at near-collisional reaction rates. Reactions with fluorine are highly exothermic, forming strong H—F (=570 kJ mol-1) and C—F (=485 kJ mol-1) bonds while breaking much weaker C—H (=414 kJ mor1) and C—C (=368 kJ mol-1) bonds. The hydrogen abstraction reaction... 

To probe the effects of HCFC structure on toxicity the metabolism of three penta-haloethanes, HCFC-123, HCFC-124, and HCFC-125 were studied. The three compounds differ one from the other by the number of fluorine atoms present in the /3-carbon (Fig. 4.64). It was found that the enthalpies of activation, AHact, for hydrogen atom abstraction paralleled the rate of trifluoroacetic acid excretion suggesting that the more difficult it was... 

One type of isosteric substitution that should have tremendous potential in the design of safer commercial chemicals is replacement of hydrogen with fluorine. Since many bioactivation mechanisms of chemicals involve cytochrome P450-mediated hydrogen atom abstraction to yield toxic metabolites, it would seem plausible that replacement of such a hydrogen atom with fluorine would provide a safer isosteric analog, without affecting commercial efficacy. 

This has been found to be the case with valproic acid (2-propylpentanoic acid) (12), which is hepatotoxic, and 2-fluorovalproic add (22), which is much less hepatotoxic, discussed in Sedion 4.3.1. The hepatoxidty of 12 involves cytochrome P450 abstraction of its C-2 hydrogen atom. The C-2 fluorine atom of 22 cannot be removed by cytochrome P450 metabolism. It would be interesting to observe if the same isosteric replacement would reduce the hepatoxidty of other carboxylic acids, such as the widely used 2-ethylhexanoic add. 

The trend of reactivities which is observed for hydrogen atom abstraction by partially fluorinated radicals is qualitatively similar to that for their addition to styrene. However, the absolute rates and the range of reactivities for each type of process can be seen to differ significantly. Thus, absolute rate constants for... 

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