Fragmentation reactions, solvents

Carbonaceous solids appear as a result of retrogressive reactions, in which organic thermal fragments recombine to produce insoluble semi-cokes (59,65). Coke formation is observed during liquefaction of all coals and its extent can vary widely according to the coal, the reaction solvent, and reaction conditions. The predominant inorganic species produced during the process of coal... 

Radicals 15 may combine within the solvent cage to give the peroxide 18 (reaction 45), in competition with fragmentation (reaction 42)... 

The rate of this reaction (which is the main decay of tertiary alkoxyl radicals) is also strongly enhanced in water as compared to the gas phase and organic solvents. If different substituents can be cleaved off, it is the more highly-substituted one (weaker C-C bond) that is broken preferentially (Riichardt 1987). Thus in the case of secondary alkoxyl radicals, substitution in p-position also decides the ratio of 1,2-H-shift and -fragmentation (Schuchmann and von Sonntag 1982). Because of the fast 1,2-H-shift and p-fragmentation reactions in water, intermolecular H-abstraction reactions of alkoxyl radicals [reaction (61)] are usually inefficient, but intramolecular H-abstraction may occur quite readily if an H atom is in a favorable distance (e.g., six-membered transition state). 

The effects of solvent density on the observed rates can also be interpreted through the onset of cage effects. As the solvent loading increases, the system density increases from a gas-like to a liquid-like value. In dense fluids, an addition reaction such as A + B AB is considered to follow, in series, the formation of an ecountered pair AB (6 ). Similarly, the fragmentation reaction AB - ... 

Figure 6. A Generalization of Rate Processes for cluster growth and cluster reactions with host solvent, solv = solvent molecule, R = fragment of solvent that serves as a ligand.

The non-diffusional methods of bringing D and A together may also result in payment of an ultimate price of diminished overall efficiency since BET within contact ion pairs is usually more rapid than in solvent separated ion pairs (see below). Indeed, the most important aspect of the forward electron transfer is that it presets the conditions for the competition between BET and the fragmentation reaction. The reactive intermediates (ion pairs) are generated in specific solvation and spin states. That state can be controlled or at least influenced by a selection of the excited state component, the ground state component and solvent [20], as well as by magnetic and electric fields [36]. 

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