Methylcyclopentane, radical formation

However, formation of an R species, either free or within a radical-pair cage with the metal (14), is strongly favored in view of the methylcyclopentane noted in the cyclohexen-4-al decarbonylation, since the rearrangement shown in eq. 5, metal-assisted if necessary, seems plausible (15) ... 

The reaction (equation 76) of the hexenyl radical 47 forming cyclopentyl-methyl radical was discovered independently in several laboratories and has been of pervasive utility in both synthetic and mechanistic studyThe competition between formation of cyclopentylcarbinyl and cyclohexyl radicals favors the former even though the latter is more stable, and this kinetic preference is explained by more favourable transition state interaction. The effects of substituents on the double bond, heteroatoms in the chain, and many other factors on the partitioning between these two paths have been examined. In the gas phase above 300°C, methylcyclopentane has been observed to form cyclohexane via isomerization of cyclopentylmethyl radicals into the more stable cyclohexyl radicals. ... 

The chemical (Gif system) and the electrochemical conversion (Gif-Orsay system) have been compared in the oxidation of six saturated hydrocarbons (cyclohexane, 3-ethylpentane, methylcyclopentane, cis- and traus-decalin and adamantane). The results obtained for pyridine, acetone and pyridine-acetone were similar for both systems. Total or partial replacement of pyridine for acetone affects the selectivity for the secondary position and lowers the ratio ketone secondary alcohol. The formation of the same ratio of cis- and traws-decal-9-ol from either cis- or trans-deca in indicates that tertiary alcohols result from a mechanism essentially radical in nature. The C /C ratio between 6.5 and 32.7 rules out a radical mechanism for the formation of ketones and secondary alcohols. Ratios of 0.14 and 0.4 were reported for radical-type oxidations of adamantane and cis-decalin. Partial replacement of pyridine by methanol, ethanol or f-propanol results in diminished yields and a lower selectivity. Acetone gives comparable yields however, the C /C ratio drops to 0.2-10.7. 

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