Free radicals, from hydroperoxides

In the later stages of ketone oxidation, free radicals are formed from a-ketohydroperoxide. In cyclohexanone, a-ketohydroperoxide decomposes by a firsit-order reaction [164] with a rate coefficient fei = 5.9 X 107 exp(—20,400/RT) s-1. Ketone takes part in the formation of free radicals from hydroperoxide (see below). 

Stabilizing additives for polymers usually scavenge free radicals or hydroperoxides from the system. The effect of such additives is depicted in reactions... 

The direct reaction of oxygen with the carbanion from dihydroanthracene does not seem likely. Russell (5) has indicated a preference for a one-electron transfer process to convert the carbanion to a free radical, which then reacts with oxygen to form an oxygenated species. Therefore, we considered a mechanism involving one-electron transfer to form a free radical from the carbanion, which would lead to the formation of anthraquinone and anthracene without having either the hydroperoxide or anthrone as an intermediate. 

Cumene hydroperoxide formation. The formation of the hydroperoxide proceeds by a free radical chain reaction. A radical initiator abstracts a hydrogen-free radical from the molecule, creating a tertiary free radical. The creation of the tertiary free radical is the initial step in the reaction. 

Finally, the hydroperoxide free radical abstracts a hydrogen free radical from a second molecule of cumene to form cumene hydroperoxide and a new tertiary free radical. 

Shi X, Dalai NS, Kasprzak KS. 1993. Generation of free radicals from hydrogen peroxide and lipid hydroperoxides in the presence of Cr(III). Arch Biochem Biophys 302(1) 294-291. 

X. Shi et al., Generation of free radicals from model lipid hydroperoxides and H2O2 by Co(ll) in the presence of cysteinyl and histidyl chelators. Chem. Res. Toxicol., 6 (1993) 277-83. 

The free radical reaction may be accelerated and propagated via chain branching or homolytical fission of hydroperoxides formed to generate more free radicals (equations (11.4), (11.5)). Free radicals formed can initiate or promote fatty acid oxidation at a faster rate. Thus, once initiated, the free radical reaction is self-sustaining and capable of oxidizing large amounts of lipids. On the other hand, the free radical chain reaction may be terminated by antioxidants (AH) such as vitamin E (tocopherols) that competitively react with a peroxy radical and remove a free radical from the system (equation (11.6)). Also, the chain reaction may be terminated by self-quenching or pol)rmerization of free radicals to form non-radical dimers, trimers and polymers (equation (11.7)). 

They tend to react preferentially, preventing the regeneration of new free radicals from the decomposition of the hydroperoxides. Primary and secondary antioxidants are often used together because they exhibit a synergism which provides an effective mechanism for polymer stabilization. 

In the autoxidation of organic compounds the main source of free radicals is hydroperoxides formed in the reaction. It follows from this that the autoxidation rate can be retarded if the concentration of hydroperoxide is decreased by its decomposition. It should be kept in mind that two basically different directions of ROOH decomposition are possible homolytic and heterolytic. The first direction results in the formation of free radicals and, hence, the intensification of homolytic decomposition only accelerates oxidation. By contrast, the heterolytic transformation of ROOH into molecular products (molecular decomposition) decreases the concentration of hydroperoxide and, correspondingly, the rate of its decomposition to radicals. 

The ultimate fate of the oxygen-centered radicals generated from alkyl hydroperoxides depends on the decomposition environment. In vinyl monomers, hydroperoxides can be used as efficient sources of free radicals because vinyl monomers generally are efficient radical scavengers which effectively suppress induced decomposition. When induced decomposition occurs, the hydroperoxide is decomposed with no net increase of radicals in the system (see eqs. 8, 9, and 10). Hydroperoxides usually are not effective free-radical initiators since radical-induced decompositions significantly decrease the efficiency of radical generation. Thermal decomposition-rate studies in dilute solutions show that alkyl hydroperoxides have 10-h HLTs of 133—172°C. 

Hydroperoxides have been obtained from the autoxidation of alkanes, aralkanes, alkenes, ketones, enols, hydrazones, aromatic amines, amides, ethers, acetals, alcohols, and organomineral compounds, eg, Grignard reagents (10,45). In autoxidations involving hydrazones, double-bond migration occurs with the formation of hydroperoxy—azo compounds via free-radical chain processes (10,59) (eq. 20). 

Unsymmetrical dialkyl peroxides are obtained by the reaction of alkyl hydroperoxides with a substrate, ie, R H, from which a hydrogen can be abstracted readily in the presence of certain cobalt, copper, or manganese salts (eq. 30). However, this process is not efficient since two moles of the hydroperoxide are consumed per mole of dialkyl peroxide produced. In addition, side reactions involving free radicals produce undesired by-products (44,66). 

Catalyst Selection. The low resin viscosity and ambient temperature cure systems developed from peroxides have faciUtated the expansion of polyester resins on a commercial scale, using relatively simple fabrication techniques in open molds at ambient temperatures. The dominant catalyst systems used for ambient fabrication processes are based on metal (redox) promoters used in combination with hydroperoxides and peroxides commonly found in commercial MEKP and related perketones (13). Promoters such as styrene-soluble cobalt octoate undergo controlled reduction—oxidation (redox) reactions with MEKP that generate peroxy free radicals to initiate a controlled cross-linking reaction. 

Thermally induced homolytic decomposition of peroxides and hydroperoxides to free radicals (eqs. 2—4) increases the rate of oxidation. Decomposition to nonradical species removes hydroperoxides as potential sources of oxidation initiators. Most peroxide decomposers are derived from divalent sulfur and trivalent phosphoms. 

The peioxy free radicals can abstract hydrogens from other activated methylene groups between double bonds to form additional hydroperoxides and generate additional free radicals like (1). Thus a chain reaction is estabhshed resulting in autoxidation. The free radicals participate in these reactions, and also react with each other resulting in cross-linking by combination. 

Treatment of 2-methylthiirane with t-butyl hydroperoxide at 150 °C in a sealed vessel gave very low yields of allyl disulfide, 2-propenethiol and thioacetone. The allyl derivatives may be derived from abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the methyl group followed by ring opening to the allylthio radical. Percarbonate derivatives of 2-hydroxymethylthiirane decompose via a free radical pathway to tar. Acrylate esters of 2-hydroxymethylthiirane undergo free radical polymerization through the double bond. 

Decomposition of the /rtin -decalyl perester A gives a 9 1 ratio of trans cis hydroperoxide product at all oxygen pressures studied. The product ratio from the cis isomer is dependent on the oxygen pressure. At 1 atm O2, it is 9 1 trans cis, as with the trans substrate, but this ratio decreases and eventually inverts with increasing O2 pressure. It is 7 3 cis trans at 545 atm oxygen pressure. What deduction about the stereochemistry of the decalyl free radical can be made from these data ... 

---