Free radical chain reactions, initiation

Pyrolysis of acetylene to a mixture of aromatic hydrocarbons has been the subject of many studies, commencing with the work of Berthelot in 1866 (1866a, 1866b). The proposed mechanisms have ranged from formation of CH fragments by fission of acetylene (Bone and Coward, 1908) to free-radical chain reactions initiated by excitation of acetylene to its lowest-lying triplet state (Palmer and Dormisch, 1964 Palmer et al., 1966) and polymerization of monomeric or dimeric acetylene biradicals (Minkoff, 1959 see also Cullis et al., 1962). Photosensitized polymerization of acetylene and acetylene-d2 and isotopic analysis of the benzene produced indicated involvement of both free-radical and excited state mechanisms (Tsukuda and Shida, 1966). 

In early attempts to produce an iron-oxo species (20) from typical porphyrins like chloro-a,/3,y,8-tetraphenylporphinatoiron(III) [Fe(III)TPP-Cl] and chloroferriprotoporphyrin(IX)[Fe(III)PPIX-Cl], we examined the reaction of t-butyl hydroperoxide and peroxy-acids with alkanes and olefins in the presence of these catalysts. With peroxyacids, decomposition of the porphyrin ring was observed, while with the f-butyl hydroperoxides, product distributions were indistinguishable from free-radical chain reactions initiated photochem-ically in the absence of any metals. 

In a free-radical chain reaction, initiation steps generally create new free radicals. Propagation steps usually combine a free radical and a reactant to give a product and another free radical.Termination steps generally decrease the number of free radicals. 

Most phenol nowadays is obtained from isopropylbenzene (cumene), which is oxidized by air in the cumene proces.s (Scheme 4.1). Acetone (propanone) is a valuable by-product of the process and this route is a major source of this important solvent. The formation of cumene hydroperoxide proceeds by a free radical chain reaction initiated by the ready generation of the tertiary benzylic cumyl radical, which is a further illustration of the ease of attack at the benzylic position, especially by radicals (see Chapter 3). 

Many reduced gases and vapors released by both human activities and natural ecosystems are eventually oxidized in the atmosphere by free-radical chain reactions initiated by OH. Rate constants for the reaction of OH with several organic vapors are shown in Table 4-12. 

The electrochemical properties of 27 have been studied with a view to learn more of the mechanism of oxidation [50].The results rule out a simple free radical chain reaction initiated by interaction between the cobalt(II) complex and dioxygen. 

The reduction of alkyl hahdes has been important in many syntheses. Sodium cyanoborohydride in HMPA will reduce alkyl iodides, bromides, and tosylates selectively in the presence of ester, amide, nitro, chloro, cyano, alkene, epoxide, and aldehyde groups [118]. Tri-n-butyltin hydride will replace chloro, bromo, or iodo groups with hydrogen via a free radical chain reaction initiated by thermal decomposition of AIBN [119]. Other functionality such as ketones, esters, amides, ethers, and alcohols survive unchanged. The less toxic tris(trimethylsilyl) silane can be used similarly [120]. 

It is generally accepted that the elimination of HCl occurs by way of a free-radical chain reaction initiated by chromophore impurities. Whilst chlorine atoms may function as the propagating species, as shown in Scheme 3.21, unsaturated... 

Another method for producing petoxycatboxyhc acids is by autoxidation of aldehydes (168). The reaction is a free-radical chain process, initiated by organic peroxides, uv irradiation, o2one, and various metal salts. It is terrninated by free-radical inhibitors (181,183). In certain cases, the petoxycatboxyhc acid forms an adduct with the aldehyde from which the petoxycatboxyhc acid can be hberated by heating or by acid hydrolysis. If the petoxycatboxyhc acid remains in contact with excess aldehyde, a redox disproportionation reaction occurs that forms a catboxyhc acid ... 

The main industrial use of alkyl peroxyesters is in the initiation of free-radical chain reactions, primarily for vinyl monomer polymerizations. Decomposition of unsymmetrical diperoxyesters, in which the two peroxyester functions decompose at different rates, results in the formation of polymers of enhanced molecular weights, presumably due to chain extension by sequential initiation (204). 

The result of the steady-state condition is that the overall rate of initiation must equal the total rate of termination. The application of the steady-state approximation and the resulting equality of the initiation and termination rates permits formulation of a rate law for the reaction mechanism above. The overall stoichiometry of a free-radical chain reaction is independent of the initiating and termination steps because the reactants are consumed and products formed almost entirely in the propagation steps. 

Free radical chain reactions depend on an easily generated free radical to initiate the chain. One way to generate this radical is to irradiate halogens, such as Ch and Brj. Another way is to add a small amount of an initiator molecule to the reaction mixture, such as AIBN. This molecule, when heated, decomposes into free radicals that react with other molecules to initiate a chain reaction. 

Wawzonek et al. first investigated the mechanism of the cyclization of A-haloamines and correctly proposed the free radical chain reaction pathway that was substantiated by experimental data. "" Subsequently, Corey and Hertler examined the stereochemistry, hydrogen isotope effect, initiation, catalysis, intermediates, and selectivity of hydrogen transfer. Their results pointed conclusively to a free radical chain mechanism involving intramolecular hydrogen transfer as one of the propagation steps. Accordingly, the... 

Packer and Richardson (1975) and Packer et al. (1980) made use of the fact that electrons can be generated in water by y-radiation from a 60Co source (Scheme 8-29) to induce a free radical chain reaction between diazonium ions and alcohols, aldehydes, or formate ion. It has to be emphasized that the radiolytically formed solvated electron in Scheme 8-29 is only a part of the initiation steps (Scheme 8-30) by which an aryl radical is formed. The aryl radical initiates the propagation steps shown in Scheme 8-31. Here the alcohol, aldehyde, or formate ion (RH2) is the reducing agent (i.e., the electron donor) for the main reaction. The process is a hydro-de-diazoniation. 

Hydroxyl radicals are the most reactive free-radical species known and have the ability to react with a wide number of cellular constituents including amino-acid residues, and purine and pyrimidine bases of DNA, as well as attacking membrane lipids to initiate a free-radical chain reaction known as lipid peroxidation. 

Hydrogen halides will easily add to unsaturated compounds under radiolysis or photolysis. The free-radical chain reaction process is initiated by the dissociation of the halide or by the radiolytic production of radicals from the halide or the organic compound. Thus, for the radiolysis of a mixture of HBr and ethene the postulated initiation is... 

The relative ease with which aryl benzyl sulfoxides undergo homolytic dissociation (Rayner et al., 1966) as compared to aryl benzyl sulfides or sulfones is supportive of this idea that ArSO radicals are easier to form than ArS or ArS02 radicals. Another interesting set of observations is the following. Booms and Cram (1972) found that optically active arene-sulfinamides ArS(0)NRPh (R = H or CH3) racemize thermally very readily at room temperature and that this racemization is the result of a free radical chain reaction (160) that is initiated by the dissociation of some of the sulfinamide into an ArSO and a PhNR radical (159). While the length of the inhibition... 

Although the propagation reactions are only shown once, you should be aware that they occur in a sequence a very large number of times before the termination reactions remove the reactive radicals. Thus, free-radical chain reactions are characterised by the formation of a very large number of product molecules initiated by the absorption of a single photon in the initiation step that is, chain reactions act as chemical amplifiers of the initial absorption step. 

Vanoppen et al. [88] have reported the gas-phase oxidation of zeolite-ad-sorbed cyclohexane to form cyclohexanone. The reaction rate was observed to increase in the order NaY < BaY < SrY < CaY. This was attributed to a Frei-type thermal oxidation process. The possibility that a free-radical chain process initiated by the intrazeolite formation of a peroxy radical, however, could not be completely excluded. On the other hand, liquid-phase auto-oxidation of cyclohexane, although still exhibiting the same rate effect (i.e., NaY < BaY < SrY < CaY), has been attributed to a homolytic peroxide decomposition mechanism [89]. Evidence for the homolytic peroxide decomposition mechanism was provided in part by the observation that the addition of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide dramatically enhanced the intrazeolite oxidation. In addition, decomposition of cyclohexyl hydroperoxide followed the same reactivity pattern (i.e., NaY < BaY... 

Radical reactions are often called chain reactions. All chain reactions have three steps chain initiation, chain propagation and chain termination. For example, the halogenation of alkane is a free radical chain reaction. 

A general free-radical chain reaction with the thermal or photoinduced dissociation of halogen as the initiation step is operative in radical halogenation [Eqs. (10.12)—(10.14)]. 

Co-oxidation of indene and thiophenol in benzene solution is a free-radical chain reaction involving a three-step propagation cycle. Autocatalysis is associated with decomposition of the primary hydroperoxide product, but the system exhibits extreme sensitivity to catalysis by impurities, particularly iron. The powerful catalytic activity of N,N -di-sec-butyl-p-phenylenediamine is attributed on ESR evidence to the production of radicals, probably >NO-, and replacement of the three-step propagation by a faster four-step cycle involving R-, RCV, >NO, and RS- radicals. Added iron complexes produce various effects depending on their composition. Some cause a fast initial reaction followed by a strong retardation, then re-acceleration and final decay as reactants are consumed. Kinetic schemes that demonstrate this behavior but are not entirely satisfactory in detail are discussed. 

The co-oxidation of indene and thiophenol in benzene proceeds by a three-step cyclic free radical chain reaction. Autocatalysis associated with the hydroperoxide which is the main primary product occurs, but the effect is complicated by other trace components. The reaction is extremely sensitive to catalysts and inhibitors, and its kinetic features are determined by the initiation and termination processes. 

A free radical chain reaction proceeds through a succession of free radicals. In the photochemical chlorination of an alkane, the initiating step is the homolytic lission of chlorine molecules to produce chloroalkanc molecules and chlorine free radicals. These two reactions constitute the propagating step. However, the chlorine free radicals may also combine to form chlorine molecules or react with the alkane free radicals to form chloroalkane molecules. Both of these reactions constitute terminating steps of the chain reaction. Il should be noted, however, that the foregoing sequence cannot take place in the dark. Exposure to light allows the series of reactions then to proceed rather violently. 

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