Cage return

In other cases, the cage reaction may simply lead to reformation of the initiator. This process is known as cage return and is important during the decomposition of BPO (Section 3.3.2.1.1) and DTBP (Section 3.3.2.4). Cage return lowers the rate of radical generation but does not directly yield byproducts. It is one factor contributing to the solvent and viscosity dependence of kA and can lead to a reduced at high conversion. 

There have been numerous studies on the kinetics of decomposition of A IRK. AIBMe and other dialkyldiazenes.46 Solvent effects on are small by conventional standards but, nonetheless, significant. Data for AIBMe is presented in Table 3.3. The data come from a variety of sources and can be seen to increase in the series where the solvent is aliphatic < ester (including MMA) < aromatic (including styrene) < alcohol. There is a factor of two difference between kA in methanol and k< in ethyl acetate. The value of kA for AIBN is also reported to be higher in aromatic than in hydrocarbon solvents and to increase with the dielectric constant of the medium.31 79 80 Tlic kA of AIBMe and AIBN show no direct correlation with solvent viscosity (see also 3.3.1.1.3), which is consistent with the reaction being irreversible (Le. no cage return). 

The high rate of decarboxylation of aliphatic acyloxy radicals is also the prime reason behind low initiator efficiencies (see 3.3.2.1.3). Decarboxylation occurs within the solvent cage and recombination gives alkane or ester byproducts. Cage return for LPO is 18-35% at 80 °C in -octane as compared to only 4% for BPO under similar conditions.144... 

Observed rates of disappearance for diacyl peroxides show marked dependence on solvent and concentration.146 In part, this is a reflection of their susceptibility to induced decomposition (see 3.3.2.1.4 and 3.3.2.1.5). However, the rate of disappearance is also a function of the viscosity of the reaction medium. This is evidence for cage return (see 3.3.2.1.3).143 The observation144 of slow scrambling of the label in be.x LQy -carbonyl- %0 peroxide between the carbonyl and the peroxidic linkage provides more direct evidence for this process. 

A slow rate of p-scission also means that the main cage recombination process will be cage return to reform the peroxydicarbonate. Dialkyl peroxides are typically not found amongst the products of peroxydicarbonate decomposition. In these circumstances, cage recombination is unlikely to be a factor in reducing initiator efficiency. 

The mode of fission of some azo compounds into alkyl radicals and nitrogen has been studied by Pryor and Smith<8) using the following postulates (1) A molecule that decomposes by a concerted scission of both C—N bonds will not undergo cage return and will have a rate constant independent of viscosity (2) a molecule that decomposes by a stepwise scission of the C—N bonds can undergo cage recombination and the rate constant for decomposition will decrease with solvent viscosity increase provided that the lifetime of the radicals produced by the initial homolysis is of the same order... 

Peroxyesters derived from secondary (e.g. peroxyisobutyrate esters) and tertiary acids (e.g. peroxypivalate esters) are believed to undergo concerted 2-bond cleavage leading to direct production of an alkoxy and an alkyl radical and a molecule of carbon dioxide. " On the other hand, primary (e.g. peroxyacetate and peroxypropionate esters) and aromatic peroxyesters (t. g. BPB, Scheme 3.32) are thought to undergo I-bond scission to generate an acyloxy and an alkoxy radical. " " Evidence for the transient existence of acyloxy radicals includes the observation of substantial cage return. 

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