Peroxidation free radical chain reaction

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. 

Free-radical chain reactions have been reviewed60. The cyclization of dienes by the action of free radicals is illustrated for the case of the 1,6-heptadiene derivative 90 (E = CC Me) in equation 56. Treatment with tosyl radicals, produced from tosyl chloride and a catalytic amount of dibenzoyl peroxide, generates the radicals 91, which cyclize to 92. The latter reacts with tosyl chloride to form 93 and tosyl radicals are regenerated. The product is obtained in 85% yield as a 6 1 mixture of cis- and fraws-isomers61. 

Halogen-mediated synthesis of cyclic peroxides through free radical chain reactions... 

Initiation normally requires molecules with weak bonds to undergo homolytic cleavage to produce free radicals. Since bond homolysis even of weak bonds is endothermic, energy in the form of heat (A) or light (hv) is usually required in die initiation phase. However, some type of initiation is required to get any free-radical reaction to proceed. That is, you must first produce free radicals from closed-shell molecules in order to get free-radical reactions to occur. Benzoyl peroxide contains a weak 0-0 bond that undergoes thermal cleavage and decarboxylation (probably a concerted process) to produce phenyl radicals which can initiate free-radical chain reactions. 

In the thermal-catalytic method a peroxide catalyst is usually used to initiate the free radical chain reaction. The main disadvantages are the higher temperatures required for carrying out the polymerizations, the potential hazard of explosion on addition of catalyst to the monomer, and disposal of excess catalyzed monomer after impregnating. Combinations of heat, radiation, and catalyst have been experimented with to reduce the radiation and catalyst requirements and to increase the rate of polymerization. In thermal polymerization a muffle furnace, infrared heating, and microwave heating can be used to provide the thermal energy. 

The foods can be protected against lipid oxidation either by the addition of antioxidants or by packaging in vacuum or inert gases to exclude oxygen. The antioxidants can be of various types. They can work as "chain-breakers" that interfere with the free radical chain reaction, as "metal inactivators", that bind otherwise pro-oxidative metals, or as "peroxide destroyers", which react with hydroperoxides to give stable products by nonradical processes (1). 

On the other hand, unsaturated lipids may act as secondary mediators of the MnP/Mn system, in a mechanism known as lipid peroxidation, which is a free radical chain-reaction proceeding via the oxidation of unsaturated lipids [32, 33]. Thiols may also undergo oxidation by MnP/Mn and produce thiyl radicals, which in turn mediate in the oxidation of a variety of compounds [34]. 

A free-radical initiator such as chlorine, bromine, or a peroxide (with heat or light) suggests that a free-radical chain reaction is most likely. Free-radical reactions were discussed in detail in Chapter 4. 

Many students wonder why the reaction with Markovnikov orientation does not take place in the presence of peroxides, together with the free-radical chain reaction. It actually does take place, but the peroxide-catalyzed reaction is faster. If just a tiny bit of peroxide is present, a mixture of Markovnikov and anti-Markovnikov products results. If an appreciable amount of peroxide is present, the radical chain reaction is so much faster than the uncatalyzed ionic reaction that only the anti-Markovnikov product is observed. 

Similarly, the peroxide effect is not observed with HI because the reaction of an iodine atom with an alkene is strongly endothermic. Only HBr has just the right reactivity for each step of the free-radical chain reaction to take place. 

In Section 8-3B, we saw the effect of peroxides on the addition of HBr to alkenes. Peroxides catalyze a free-radical chain reaction that adds HBr across the double bond of an alkene in the anti-Markovnikov sense. A similar reaction occurs with alkynes, with HBr adding with anti-Markovnikov orientation. 

Thermal oxidation is also autocatalytic and considered as metal-catalyzed because it is very difficult to eliminate trace metals (from fats and oils or food) that act as catalysts and may occur as proposed in Equation 4. Redox metals of variable valency may also catalyze decomposition of hydroperoxides (Scheme 2, Equations [6] and [7]). Direct photooxidation is caused by free radicals produced by ultraviolet radiation that catalyzes the decomposition of hydroperoxides and peroxides. This oxidation proceeds as a free radical chain reaction. Although there should be direct irradiation from ultraviolet light for the hpid substrate, which is usually uncommon under normal practices, the presence of metals and metal complexes of oxygen can become activated and generate free radicals or singlet oxygen. 

Free radical chain reactions, which occur during lipid peroxidation, lead to formation of lipid hydroperoxides that decompose to several types of secondary free radicals and a large number of secondary reactive compounds, such as aldehydes, all resulting in the destruction of cellular membranes and other cytotoxic responses. 

In addition polymerization, monomers react to form a polymer chain without net loss of atoms. The most common type of addition polymerization involves the free-radical chain reaction of molecules that have C = C bonds. As in the chain reactions considered in Section 18.4, the overall process consists of three steps initiation, propagation (repeated many times to build up a long chain), and termination. As an example, consider the polymerization of vinyl chloride (chloro-ethene, CH2 = CHC1) to polyvinyl chloride (Fig. 23.1). This process can be initiated by a small concentration of molecules that have bonds weak enough to be broken by the action of light or heat, giving radicals. An example of such an initiator is a peroxide, which can be represented as R—O—O—R, where R and R represent alkyl groups. The weak 0—0 bonds break... 

Historically, vitamin E has been recognized as necessary for neurological and reproductive functions, for protecting the red cell from hemolysis, and for prevention of retinopathy in premature infants. Inhibition of free-radical chain reactions of lipid peroxidation is the most thoroughly defined role of vitamin This occurs mainly within the polyun-... 

It is well recognized that the oxidation of cyclohexene with O2 in the presence of several transition metal catalysts is a free-radical chain reaction giving cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide as an intermediate (eq. 2). Some metal complexes are known to catalyze the formation of the hydroperoxide, while others catalyze the decomposition of the peroxide to the oxygenated products 1-3. 

TiJraleic anhydride is known to form two classes of adducts with alkyl-benzenes, depending on the conditions of excitation. At reflux temperatures and in the presence of catalytic amounts of peroxides adducts of Type I are formed (3, 4). A free radical chain reaction is assumed involving abstraction of a benzylic hydrogen. The chain length, based on the ratio of product to added peroxide, is 20 to 100. 

The regioselectivity of addition of hydrogen bromide to alkenes can be complicated if a free-radical chain addition occurs in competition with the ionic addition. The free-radical chain reaction is readily initiated by peroxidic impurities or by light and leads to the anti Markovnikov addition product. The mechanism of this reaction is considered more fully in Chapter 11. Conditions that minimize the competing radical addition include use of high-purity alkene and solvent, exclusion of light, and addition of a radical inhibitor. ... 

Deterioration of food lipids by free radical chain reaction and lipid peroxidation is a major problem for food manufacturers. The main route of deterioration of vegetable oils is rancidity deriving from the oxidation taking place at the insaturation sites of the fatty acids in the triglyceride molecules. In general the higher the number of double bonds, the easier is... 

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