Chain reaction example

Carothers, in 1929, classified synthetic polymers into two classes, according to the method of their preparation, i.e., condensation polymers and addition polymers. In polycondensation, or step-growth polymerization, polymers are obtained by reaction between two polyfunctional molecules and elimination of a small molecule, for example water. Typical condensation polymers are shown in Figure 2. Addition (or chain reaction) polymers are formed from unsaturated monomers in a chain reaction. Examples of addition polymers are shown in Figure 2. 

R9 I. Chain Reactions Example Problem R9-2. Reaction Pathways... 

The hydrogenolyaia of cyclopropane rings (C—C bond cleavage) has been described on p, 105. In syntheses of complex molecules reductive cleavage of alcohols, epoxides, and enol ethers of 5-keto esters are the most important examples, and some selectivity rules will be given. Primary alcohols are converted into tosylates much faster than secondary alcohols. The tosylate group is substituted by hydrogen upon treatment with LiAlH (W. Zorbach, 1961). Epoxides are also easily opened by LiAlH. The hydride ion attacks the less hindered carbon atom of the epoxide (H.B. Henhest, 1956). The reduction of sterically hindered enol ethers of 9-keto esters with lithium in ammonia leads to the a,/S-unsaturated ester and subsequently to the saturated ester in reasonable yields (R.M. Coates, 1970). Tributyltin hydride reduces halides to hydrocarbons stereoselectively in a free-radical chain reaction (L.W. Menapace, 1964) and reacts only slowly with C 0 and C—C double bonds (W.T. Brady, 1970 H.G. Kuivila, 1968). 

Cation (Section 1 2) Positively charged ion Cellobiose (Section 25 14) A disacchande in which two glu cose units are joined by a 3(1 4) linkage Cellobiose is oh tamed by the hydrolysis of cellulose Cellulose (Section 25 15) A polysaccharide in which thou sands of glucose units are joined by 3(1 4) linkages Center of symmetry (Section 7 3) A point in the center of a structure located so that a line drawn from it to any element of the structure when extended an equal distance in the op posite direction encounters an identical element Benzene for example has a center of symmetry Cham reaction (Section 4 17) Reaction mechanism m which a sequence of individual steps repeats itself many times usu ally because a reactive intermediate consumed m one step is regenerated m a subsequent step The halogenation of alkanes is a chain reaction proceeding via free radical intermediates... 

In order for a soHd to bum it must be volatilized, because combustion is almost exclusively a gas-phase phenomenon. In the case of a polymer, this means that decomposition must occur. The decomposition begins in the soHd phase and may continue in the Hquid (melt) and gas phases. Decomposition produces low molecular weight chemical compounds that eventually enter the gas phase. Heat from combustion causes further decomposition and volatilization and, therefore, further combustion. Thus the burning of a soHd is like a chain reaction. For a compound to function as a flame retardant it must intermpt this cycle in some way. There are several mechanistic descriptions by which flame retardants modify flammabiUty. Each flame retardant actually functions by a combination of mechanisms. For example, metal hydroxides such as Al(OH)2 decompose endothermically (thermal quenching) to give water (inert gas dilution). In addition, in cases where up to 60 wt % of Al(OH)2 may be used, such as in polyolefins, the physical dilution effect cannot be ignored. 

The determination of critical si2e or mass of nuclear fuel is important for safety reasons. In the design of the atom bombs at Los Alamos, it was cmcial to know the critical mass, ie, that amount of highly enriched uranium or plutonium that would permit a chain reaction. A variety of assembhes were constmcted. Eor example, a bare metal sphere was found to have a critical mass of approximately 50 kg, whereas a natural uranium reflected 235u sphere had a critical mass of only 16 kg. 

The use of agarose as an electrophoretic method is widespread (32—35). An example of its use is in the evaluation and typing of DNA both in forensics (see Forensic chemistry) and to study heritable diseases (36). Agarose electrophoresis is combined with other analytical tools such as Southern blotting, polymerase chain reaction, and fluorescence. The advantages of agarose electrophoresis are that it requires no additives or cross-linkers for polymerization, it is not hazardous, low concentration gels are relatively sturdy, it is inexpensive, and it can be combined with many other analytical methods. 

By introducing branch points into the polymer chains, for example by incorporating about 2% of 1,2,3,-trichloropropane into the polymerisation recipe, chain extension may proceed in more than two directions and this leads to the formation of networks by chemical cross-links. However, with these structures interchange reactions occur at elevated temperatures and these cause stress relief of stressed parts and in turn a high compression set. 

The step in which the reactive intermediate, in this case A-, is generated is called the initiation step. In the next four equations in the example above, a sequence of two reactions is repeated this is the propagation phase. Chain reactions are characterized by a chain length, which is the number of propagation steps that take place per initiation step. Finally, there are termination steps, which include any reactions that destroy one of the reactive intermediates necessary for the propagation of the chain. Clearly, the greater the frequency of termination steps, the lower the chain length will be. 

The classic example, and still the most useful one, of a LFER is the Hammett equation, which correlates rates and equilibria of many side-chain reactions of meta- and para-substituted aromatic compounds. The standard reaction is the aqueous ionization equilibrium at 25°C of meta- and para-substituted benzoic acids. 

In addition to its other properties, interest in the potential use of the vasodilative properties of prostaglandin El, alprostadil ( ), has led to several conceptually different syntheses.For this purpose, the classic Corey process has to be modified by reversing the order of addition of the side chains to allow for convenient removal of the unwanted double bond in the upper side chain. For example, Corey lactone is protected with dihydropyran (acid catalysis), reduced to the lactol with diisobutyaluminum hydride, and then subjected to the usual Wittig reaction to give intermediate This is... 

Ring opening polymerization may also occur by an addition chain reaction. For example, a ring opening reaction polymerizes trioxane to a polyacetal in the presence of an acid catalyst. Formaldehyde also produces the same polymer ... 

In other instances the reactions appear to occur in sequence down the chain, for example in the depolymerisation reaction of polyformaldehyde (polyacetal) and polymethyl methacrylate which are referred to as zippering or sometimes unzippering reactions. In other cases cyclisation reactions can occur such as on heating polyacrylonitrile ... 

Chain-growth polymer (Section 31.1) A polymer w hose bonds are produced by chain reactions. Polyethylene and other alkene polymers are examples. 

Chain reaction (Section 5.3) A reaction that., once initiated, sustains itself in an endlessly repeating cycle of propagation steps. The radical chlorination of alkanes is an example of a chain reaction that is initiated by irradiation with light and then continues in a series of propagation steps. 

Initiator (Section 5.3) A substance with an easily broken bond that is used to initiate a radical chain reaction. For example, radical chlorination of alkanes is initiated when light energy breaks the weak Cl-Cl bond to form Cl-radicals. 

As a third and final example of a chain reaction, we shall consider a net reaction that produces sulfate and hydrogen phosphate ions.7 The scheme is more intricate than the earlier ones. It starts with the homolytic dissociation of S2Ojj- as one of two parallel initiation steps, and utilizes SO -, HO, and HPO - as intermediates. The scheme suggested is shown here, and one can easily allow for the products that are identical save for protonation ... 

The Hammett equation is the best-known example of a linear free-energy relationship (LFER), that is, an equation which implies a linear relationship between free energies of reaction or activation for two related processes48. It describes the influence of polar meta-or para-substituents on reactivity for side-chain reactions of benzene derivatives. 

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