Diradical initiators

In eq. 8, the rate of polymerization is shown as being half order in initiator (T). This is only true for initiators that decompose to two radicals both of which begin chains. The form of this term depends on the particular initiator and the initiation mechanism. The equation takes a slightly different form in the case of thermal initiation (S), redox initiation, diradical initiation, etc. Side reactions also cause a departure from ideal behavior. 

Thermal initiation makes an appreciable contribution to the polymerization rate for styrene at very low initiator concentrations, as we have pointed out earlier. Since the rate Rp includes contributions from thermal as well as from catalytic initiation, the second term in Eq. (36) remains valid provided the thermal initiation involves monoradicals. Diradical initiation, if it occurred, would introduce a deviation, since it produces no chain ends. 

The assignment of the excited state of benzophenone as a triplet which could act as a sensitizer was made by Hammond and Moore in 1959 (equation 49)/ and this led to a great surge in radical study using photochemical techniques. The role of photoexcited benzophenone as a diradical initiator for benzaldehyde oxidation was previously shown explicitly by Backstrom in 1934 (equation 34). ... 

Several studies have demonstrated the successful incoriDoration of [60]fullerene into polymeric stmctures by following two general concepts (i) in-chain addition, so called pearl necklace type polymers or (ii) on-chain addition pendant polymers. Pendant copolymers emerge predominantly from the controlled mono- and multiple functionalization of the fullerene core with different amine-, azide-, ethylene propylene terjDolymer, polystyrene, poly(oxyethylene) and poly(oxypropylene) precursors [63,64,65,66,62 and 66]. On the other hand, (-CggPd-) polymers of the pearl necklace type were fonned via the periodic linkage of [60]fullerene and Pd monomer units after their initial reaction with thep-xy y ene diradical [69,70 and 71]. 

Upon exposure to uv light, ground-state benzophenone is excited to the ttiplet state (a diradical) which abstracts an alpha H atom from the alcohol, resulting in the formation of two separate initiating radicals. With amine H atom donors, an electron transfer may precede the H-transfer, as in ttiplet exciplex formation between benzophenone and amine (eq. 43) ... 

P-Peroxylactones undergo thermal decarboxylation to carbonyl compounds by the initial formation of a 1,5-diradical (238). a-Peroxylactones undergo similar decarboxylation, emitting light since the ketone is generated in the triplet excited state (85,239,240) ... 

Photolysis of spiro[fluorene-9,3 -indazole] (384) to the tribenzopentalene (385) has been rationalized in terms of the initial formation of triplet diradical (386) (76JOC2120). The spiroindazole (387) behaves differently and on irradiation in THF is converted into the dimer (388) and the stable iV-ylide (389) (76CB2596). 

The biological activity of calicheamicin 4 (simplified structure) is based on the ability to damage DNA. At the reaction site, initially the distance between the triple bonds is diminished by an addition reaction of a sulfur nucleophile to the enone carbon-carbon double bond, whereupon the Bergman cyclization takes place leading to the benzenoid diradical 5, which is capable of cleaving double-stranded DNA." ... 

The fragmentation/cyclization ratio is determined by the relative orientation of the respective molecular orbitals, and thus by the conformation of diradical species 2. The quantum yield with respect to formation of the above products is generally low the photochemically initiated 1,5-hydrogen shift from the y-carbon to the carbonyl oxygen is a reversible process, and may as well proceed back to the starting material. This has been shown to be the case with optically active ketones 7, containing a chiral y-carbon center an optically active ketone 7 racemizes upon irradiation to a mixture of 7 and 9 ... 

Despite the body of evidence in favor of the Mayo mechanism, the formation of diphenylcyclobutanes (90, 91) must still be accounted for. It is possible that they arise via the 1,4-diradical 94 and it is also conceivable that this diradical is an intermediate in the formation of the Diels-Alder adduct 95 (Scheme 3.64) and could provide a second (minor) source of initiation. Direct initiation by diradicals is suggested in the thermal polymerization of 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene where transfer of a fluorine atom from Diels-Alder dimer to monomer seems highly unlikely (high C-F bond strength) and for derivatives which cannot form a Diels-Alder adduct. 

In the search for a plausible mechanism for initiation in thermal polymerization, it is necessary to reject unimolecular processes such as the opening of the double bond to form a monomeric diradical... 

Photocycloaddition of Alkenes and Dienes. Photochemical cycloadditions provide a method that is often complementary to thermal cycloadditions with regard to the types of compounds that can be prepared. The theoretical basis for this complementary relationship between thermal and photochemical modes of reaction lies in orbital symmetry relationships, as discussed in Chapter 10 of Part A. The reaction types permitted by photochemical excitation that are particularly useful for synthesis are [2 + 2] additions between two carbon-carbon double bonds and [2+2] additions of alkenes and carbonyl groups to form oxetanes. Photochemical cycloadditions are often not concerted processes because in many cases the reactive excited state is a triplet. The initial adduct is a triplet 1,4-diradical that must undergo spin inversion before product formation is complete. Stereospecificity is lost if the intermediate 1,4-diradical undergoes bond rotation faster than ring closure. 

The photoadditions proceed through 1,4-diradical intermediates. Trapping experiments with hydrogen atom donors indicate that the initial bond formation can take place at either the a- or (3-carbon of the enone. The excited enone has its highest nucleophilic character at the (3-carbon. The initial bond formation occurs at the (3-carbon for electron-poor alkenes but at the a-carbon for electron-rich alkenes.191 Selectivity is low for alkenes without strong donor or acceptor substituents.192 The final product ratio also reflects the rate and efficiency of ring closure relative to fragmentation of the biradical.193... 

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