Carboxyl radical, from decomposition

Diacyl peroxides are sources of alkyl radicals because the carboxyl radicals that are intitially formed lose CO2 very rapidly. In the case of aroyl peroxides, products may be derived from the carboxyl radical or the radical formed by decarboxylation. The decomposition of peroxides can also be accomplished by photochemical excitation. 

Decomposition of the carboxyl radical (RC02 ) to carbon dioxide (CO2) and an alkyl radical (R ) follows and, eventually, the alkyl radical dimerizes or loses hydrogen to another alkyl radical (Scheme 9.100). It is important to note that hydrogen abstraction from water by the hydrocarbon radical is retarded by the need to break the strong hydrogen-oxygen bond. 

Interestingly, the same kind of carboxyl radical can be generated from the thermal decomposition of esters (usually the t-butyl ester as its reactivity is more easily controlled) of peroxycarboxylic acids. In this case, the peroxyester is not formed by oxidation of the corresponding ester but rather (Equation 9.85) by the reaction between the acid chloride of the carboxylic acid and the corresponding alkyl peroxide (often generated by direct oxygenation of the appropriate alkane. Chapter 5). 

From a study of the decompositions of several rhodium(II) carboxylates, Kitchen and Bear [1111] conclude that in alkanoates (e.g. acetates) the a-carbon—H bond is weakest and that, on reaction, this proton is transferred to an oxygen atom of another carboxylate group. Reduction of the metal ion is followed by decomposition of the a-lactone to CO and an aldehyde which, in turn, can further reduce metal ions and also protonate two carboxyl groups. Thus reaction yields the metal and an acid as products. In aromatic carboxylates (e.g. benzoates), the bond between the carboxyl group and the aromatic ring is the weakest. The phenyl radical formed on rupture of this linkage is capable of proton abstraction from water so that no acid product is given and the solid product is an oxide. 

In the decomposition of benzoyl peroxide, the fate of benzoyloxy radicals escaping from polarizing primary pairs remains something of a mystery. Benzoic acid is formed but shows no polarization in and C-spectra, and the carboxylic acid produced in other peroxide decompositions behaves similarly (Kaptein, 1971b Kaptein et al., 1972). Some light is shed on the problem by studies of the thermal decomposition of 4-chlorobenzoyl peroxide in hexachloroacetone containing iodine as... 

Alkanes are formed when the radical intermediate abstracts hydrogen from solvent faster than it is oxidized to the carbocation. This reductive step is promoted by good hydrogen donor solvents. It is also more prevalent for primary alkyl radicals because of the higher activation energy associated with formation of primary carbocations. The most favorable conditions for alkane formation involve photochemical decomposition of the carboxylic acid in chloroform, which is a relatively good hydrogen donor. 

Bromine-atom atomic resonance absorption spectrometry (ARAS) has been applied to measure the thermal decomposition rate constants of CF3Br in Kr over the temperature range 1222-1624 K. The results were found to be consistent with recently published theory. The formation of cyclopent[a]indene and acenaphthylene from alkyl esters of biphenyl-mono- and -di-carboxylic acids has been observed in flash vacuum pyrolyses at 1000-1100 °C. The kinetics and mechanisms of free-radical generation in the ternary system containing styrene epoxide, / -TsOH, and i-PrOH have been examined in both the presence and absence of O2. ... 

The catalysis of the selective oxidation of alkanes is a commercially important process that utilizes cobalt carboxylate catalysts at elevated (165°C, 10 atm air) temperatures and pressures (98). Recently, it has been demonstrated that [Co(NCCH3)4][(PF6)2], prepared in situ from CoCl2 and AgPF6 in acetonitrile, was active in the selective oxidation of alkanes (adamantane and cyclohexane) under somewhat milder conditions (75°C, 3 atm air) (99). Further, under these milder conditions, the commercial catalyst system exhibited no measurable activity. Experiments were reported that indicated that the mechanism of the reaction involves a free radical chain mechanism in which the cobalt complex acts both as a chain initiator and as a hydroperoxide decomposition catalyst. 

The extent of decarboxylation primarily depends on temperature, pressure, and the stability of the incipient R- radical. The more stable the R- radical, the faster and more extensive the decarboxylation. With many diacyl peroxides, decarboxylation and oxygen—oxygen bond scission occur simultaneously in the transition state. Acyloxy radicals are known to form initially only from diacetyl peroxide and from dibenzoyl peroxides (because of the relative instabilities of the corresponding methyl and phenyl radicals formed upon decarboxylation). Diacyl peroxides derived from non-CC-branched carboxylic acids, eg, dilauroyl peroxide, may also initially form acyloxy radical pairs however, these acyloxy radicals decarboxylate very rapidly and the initiating radicals are expected to be alkyl radicals. Diacyl peroxides are also susceptible to induced decompositions ... 

Bis(acyloxy)iodo]arenes 1 can serve as precursors to alkyl radicals 2 via decarboxylative radical decomposition initiated by irradiation with a mercury lamp (Hg-hv) or heating (Scheme 1) [3]. Generated under these conditions alkyl radicals 2 can be effectively trapped with the appropriate organic substrates affording products with a new C-C bond. The starting [bis(acyloxy)iodo]arenes 1 can be prepared in situ from the readily available [bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo]ben-zene or (diacetoxy)iodobenzene and a carboxylic acid. 

Hiatt et a/.34a-d studied the decomposition of solutions of tert-butyl hydroperoxide in chlorobenzene at 25°C in the presence of catalytic amounts of cobalt, iron, cerium, vanadium, and lead complexes. The time required for complete decomposition of the hydroperoxide varied from a few minutes for cobalt carboxylates to several days for lead naphthenate. The products consisted of approximately 86% tert-butyl alcohol, 12% di-fe/T-butyl peroxide, and 93% oxygen, and were independent of the catalysts. A radical-induced chain decomposition of the usual type,135 initiated by a redox decomposition of the hydroperoxide, was postulated to explain these results. When reactions were carried out in alkane solvents (RH), shorter kinetic chain lengths and lower yields of oxygen and di-te/T-butyl peroxide were observed due to competing hydrogen transfer of rm-butoxy radicals with the solvent. 

Fig. 1. a-Oxidation of amino acids. Hydroxyl radical (or other reactive radical) abstracts hydrogen atom from the a-carbon. The C-centered free radical formed may react with other amino acid residues or dimerize in the absence of oxygen, which leads to protein aggregation. In die presence of oxygen the carbon-centered radical forms peroxyl radical. Reduction of peroxyl radical leads to protein hydroperoxide. Decomposition of hydroperoxide leads to formation of carbonyl compounds via either oxidative deamination or oxidative decarboxylation. Oxidation of the new carbonyl group forms a carboxyl group. 

Analogous to the cleavage reactions of radical cations, a number of synthetically useful reactions from radical anions are also derived. Photo-decomposition of benzylesters and benzylsulfones are some of the simpler examples of this series [119]. Photoreduction of carboxylic esters (e.g. 122) to corresponding... 

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