5- methyl radical

The second-order rate law for bimolecular reactions is empirically well confinned. Figure A3.4.3 shows the example of methyl radical recombination (equation (A3.4.36)) in a graphical representation following equation (A3.4.38) [22, 23 and 24]. For this example the bimolecular rate constant is... 

Figure A3.4.3. Methyl radical recombination as a second-order reaction (after [22, 23]).

Hase W L 1972 Theoretical critical configuration for ethane decomposition and methyl radical recombination J. Chem. Rhys. 57 730-3... 

Marcus R A and Rice O K 1951 The kinetics of the recombination of methyl radicals and Iodine... 

Radical 7 can subsequently fragment to fonn methyl radical (8) and methylbenzoate (9). 

A classic shock-tube study concerned the high-temperature recombination rate and equilibrium for methyl radical recombination [M, Ml- Methyl radicals were first produced in a fast decomposition of diazomethane at high temperatures (T > 1000 K)... 

Subsequently, the recombination of methyl radicals was studied by the high-temperature UV absorption of the methyl radicals near 216 mn [5455 and 56]. 

Figure B2.5.7 shows the absorption traces of the methyl radical absorption as a fiinction of tune. At the time resolution considered, the appearance of CFt is practically instantaneous. Subsequently, CFl disappears by recombination (equation B2.5.28). At temperatures below 1500 K, the equilibrium concentration of CFt is negligible compared witli (left-hand trace) the recombination is complete. At temperatures above 1500 K (right-hand trace) the equilibrium concentration of CFt is appreciable, and thus the teclmique allows the detennination of botli the equilibrium constant and the recombination rate [54, M]. This experiment resolved a famous controversy on the temperature dependence of the recombination rate of methyl radicals. Wliile standard RRKM theories [, ] predicted an increase of the high-pressure recombination rate coefficient /r (7) by a factor of 10-30 between 300 K and 1400 K, the statistical-adiabatic-chaunel model predicts a...

Figure B2.5.7. Oscilloscope trace of the UV absorption of methyl radical at 216 mn produced by decomposition of azomethane after a shock wave (after [M]) at (a) 1280 K and (b) 1575 K.

Table B2.5.5. The photochemical decomposition of methyl radicals (UV excitation at 216 nm). ris tire wavenumber linewidth of the methyl radical absorption and /ris the effective first-order decay constant [54].

Glanzer K, Quack M and Troe J 1977 High temperature UV absorption and recombination of methyl radicals in shock waves Proc. 16th int. Symp. on Combustion (Pittsburg, PA The Combustion Institute) pp 949-60... 

Glanzer K, Quack M and Troe J 1976 A spectroscopic determination of the methyl radical recombination rate constant in shockwaves Chem. Phys. Lett. 39 304-9... 

Waage E V and Rabinovitch B S 1971 Some aspects of theory and experiment in the ethane-methyl radical system int. J. Chem. Kinetics 3 105-25... 

In the case of alkyl radicals [e.g., methyl radical (197, 198) and cyclohexyl radical (198)], their nucleophilic behaviour enhances the reactivity of the 2-position. Here it is necessary to have full protonation of the nitrogen atom and to use specific solvents and radical sources. 

FIGURE 4 19 Bonding in methyl radical (a) If the structure of the CH3 radical IS planar then carbon is sp hybridized with an unpaired electron in 2p orbital (b) If CH3 IS pyramidal then car bon IS sp hybridized with an electron in sp orbital Model (a) IS more consistent with experimental observa tions... 

An alkyl radical is neutral and has one more electron than the corresponding carbocation Thus bonding m methyl radical may be approximated by simply adding an electron to the vacant 2p orbital of sp hybridized carbon m methyl cation (Figure 4 19a) Alternatively we could assume that carbon is sp hybridized and place the unpaired elec tron m an sp orbital (Figure 4 9b)... 

As the table indicates C—H bond dissociation energies m alkanes are approxi mately 375 to 435 kJ/mol (90-105 kcal/mol) Homolysis of the H—CH3 bond m methane gives methyl radical and requires 435 kJ/mol (104 kcal/mol) The dissociation energy of the H—CH2CH3 bond m ethane which gives a primary radical is somewhat less (410 kJ/mol or 98 kcal/mol) and is consistent with the notion that ethyl radical (primary) is more stable than methyl... 

Cleavage of the carbon-carbon bond in ethane yields two methyl radicals whereas propane yields an ethyl radical and one methyl radical Ethyl radical is more stable than methyl and so less energy is required to break the carbon-carbon bond in propane than in ethane The measured carbon-carbon bond dissociation energy in ethane is 368 kJ/mol (88 kcal/mol) and that in propane is 355 kJ/mol (85 kcal/mol)... 

Like carbocations most free radicals are exceedingly reactive species—too reac tive to be isolated but capable of being formed as transient intermediates m chemical reactions Methyl radical as we shall see m the following section is an intermediate m the chlorination of methane... 

Chlorine atom Methane Hydrogen chloride Methyl radical... 

Step 3 Reaction of methyl radical with molecular chlorine... 

Combination of a methyl radical with a chlorine atom... 

Termination steps are m general less likely to occur than the propagation steps Each of the termination steps requires two free radicals to encounter each other m a medium that contains far greater quantities of other materials (methane and chlorine mol ecules) with which they can react Although some chloromethane undoubtedly arises via direct combination of methyl radicals with chlorine atoms most of it is formed by the propagation sequence shown m Figure 4 21... 

Free radical (Section 4 16) Neutral species in which one of the electrons in the valence shell of carbon is unpaired An ex ample is methyl radical CH3... 

A UHF wave function may also be a necessary description when the effects of spin polarization are required. As discussed in Differences Between INDO and UNDO, a Restricted Hartree-Fock description will not properly describe a situation such as the methyl radical. The unpaired electron in this molecule occupies a p-orbital with a node in the plane of the molecule. When an RHF description is used (all the s orbitals have paired electrons), then no spin density exists anywhere in the s system. With a UHF description, however, the spin-up electron in the p-orbital interacts differently with spin-up and spin-down electrons in the s system and the s-orbitals become spatially separate for spin-up and spin-down electrons with resultant spin density in the s system. 

A second common example of the utility of INDO over CNDO is the methyl radical CH3. This planar molecule is a free radical with... 

In principle, this degradation can continue until the residual radical contains only hydrogen or methyl groups attached to the carbon with the odd electron. Those radicals which stiU contain a carbon—carbon bond can form an olefin via reaction 23 (or sequence 2, 24). Methyl radicals are a special case with limited options. 

Methane oxidations occur only by intermediate and high temperature mechanisms and have been reported not to support cool flames (104,105). However, others have reported that cool flames do occur in methane oxidation, even at temperatures >400 ° C (93,94,106,107). Since methyl radicals caimot participate in reactions 23 or 24, some other mechanism must be operative to achieve the quenching observed in methane cool flames. It has been proposed that the interaction of formaldehyde and its products with radicals decreases their concentrations and inhibits the whole oxidation process (93). 

A typical oxidation is conducted at 700°C (113). Methyl radicals generated on the surface are effectively injected into the vapor space before further reaction occurs (114). Under these conditions, methyl radicals are not very reactive with oxygen and tend to dimerize. Ethane and its oxidation product ethylene can be produced in good efficiencies but maximum yield is limited to ca 20%. This limitation is imposed by the susceptibiUty of the intermediates to further oxidation (see Figs. 2 and 3). A conservative estimate of the lower limit of the oxidation rate constant ratio for ethane and ethylene with respect to methane is one, and the ratio for methanol may be at least 20 (115). 

Some control over the spHt between methyl radical oxidation (to HCHO) and dimerization in heterogeneous oxidation can be achieved by varying conditions (116). For homogeneous oxidation, an efficiency of 70—80% to methanol has been claimed at 8—10% conversions (110). This is the high end of the reported range and is controversial. Even so, such technology appears unlikely to be competitive for regular commercial use until further advances are made (117). The critical need is to protect the products from further oxidation (118). 

Propionic acid made in butane LPO probably comes by a minor variation of reaction 38 that produces methyl radicals and propionaldehyde. It is estimated that up to 18% of the j -butoxy radicals may decompose in this manner (213) this may be high since propionic acid is a minor product. 

Because high temperatures are required to decompose diaLkyl peroxides at useful rates, P-scission of the resulting alkoxy radicals is more rapid and more extensive than for most other peroxide types. When methyl radicals are produced from alkoxy radicals, the diaLkyl peroxide precursors are very good initiators for cross-linking, grafting, and degradation reactions. When higher alkyl radicals such as ethyl radicals are produced, the diaLkyl peroxides are useful in vinyl monomer polymerizations. 

The rates of these two reactions have been studied for the attack of trifluoromethyl (51) and methyl radicals (52) in isoprene that has been dissolved in 2,3-dimethylbutane and isooctane, respectively. The rate constants for the reactions with isoprene are much greater than those for the attack on the solvent. The ratio between the two rates for the attack of trifluoromethyl radicals varies from 1090 at 65°C to 233 at 180°C. For the corresponding reaction involving methyl radicals, the ratio is 2090 at 65°C. 

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