Dissociation energies, of benzyl bromides

The alternative approach is through the dissociation energy DCCgHgCHg—Br) = 50 5 kcal/mole, measured by Szwarc et These authors consider that the error associated with this value is likely to be very small. Unfortunately, however, the heat of formation of benzyl bromide is not well established and the value Ji (CeH6CH2Br,g) = 17-0 4 3-0 kcal/mole obtained by Gellner... 

The initiation step provides a radical source by thermal or photochemical dissociation of initiators, which then provides bromine radicals by reaction with Br2. Initiators are sometimes present in the alkene as allyl hydroperoxides which may be present due to inadvertent, prior autooxidation. Bromine or HBr may be present in trace amounts in NBS. Reaction of the bromine radical 20 with the substrate 1 proves selective for allylic or benzylic hydrogens due to the near thermoneutral nature of the reaction which breaks the C-H bond and forms the H-Br bond. Reaction of the formed carbon-centered radical 21 with Br2 provides the desired bromide 3 and Br 20. Hydrogen bromide 17 reacts with NBS to form succinimide 4 and resupplies the required low concentration of Br2. Alternatively, reaction of substrate radical 21 with NBS 2 provides product 3 and succinimidyl radical 22 (S ). Due to energy and kinetics considerations, abstraction of the allylic hydrogen by the S should be slower than abstraction of bromine from NBS by an allyl radical. In using solvents in which NBS, succinimide 4 or it s radical 22 are not very soluble, S is not the key chain-carrier. Byproducts and side-reactions can occur with S. ... 

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