Compound decomposition into fragments

The conditions for the photocycloaddition (discussed in detail in a later section of this review) can be relatively mild. There is usually a small probability of the oxetane being destroyed in dark reactions which would probably preclude isolation after preparation by any method. One mode of decomposition of oxetanes is fragmentation, either back to the starting materials or to the other possible carbonyl compound and olefin. For example, the oxetane from 4,4 -dimethoxybenzophenone and isobutylene forms readily and is easily detected and characterized by infrared and NMR spectroscopy. All efforts to purify it, however, have led to its decomposition into formaldehyde and the diarylethy-lene.17 37 In some cases, as with fluorenone and isobutylene37 or 2-methyl-2-butene,25b the oxetane is apparently too unstable for detection, but the presence of the olefin 96 attests to its formation. 

Polymerization of the vinyl monomer in the wood may be done with either radiation or free radical catalysts. The polymerization of the vinyl monomers in both processes depends upon the same mechanism, that is, initiation by free radicals. In the radiation process, the gamma rays passing through the monomer and the woody tissue create a large number of excited and ionized molecules, many of which break into fragments, namely, organic free radials (R ). These act as the initiator for the polymerization of an unsaturated monomer. Alternatively, the free radicals may be formed by thermal decomposition of compounds involving a weak bond. Commercially, the catalyst 2,2 -azobisisobutyronitrile now is most widely used, as it forms free radicals at a lower temperature than benzoyl peroxide. " ... 

A characteristic property of thiirane 1,1-dioxides is the ease with which such molecules fragment into sulfur dioxide and the related olefin on standing for several hours at room temperature. The title compound is no exception however, the rate of decomposition may be reduced substantially by storage under an inert atmosphere in a freezing compartment (ca. —5°). Under such conditions the product may be kept for many months. 

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