Stable Oxygen Radicals

Besides the diradical oxygen molecule, there are known some relatively stable oxygen radicals discovered by Goldschmidt.96 Because they are dissociated by light,97 their spontaneous dissociation as measured by the color has probably been overestimated. 

A single aromatic nucleus is not usually sufficient to stabilize an oxygen free radical, but the radical derived from 2,4,6-tritertiary-butylphenol is protected from dimerization or attack on the nucleus 

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Niki, E. 1991. Action of ascorbic acid as a scavenger of active and stable oxygen radicals. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 54, 1119S-1124S. 

Radiation Effects. Polytetrafluoroethylene is attacked by radiation. In the absence of oxygen, stable secondary radicals are produced. An increase in stiffness in material irradiated in vacuum indicates cross-linking (84). Degradation is due to random scission of the chain the relative stabiUty of the radicals in vacuum protects the materials from rapid deterioration. Reactions take place in air or oxygen and accelerated scission and rapid degradation occur. 

A few free radicals are indefinitely stable. Entries 1, 4, and 6 in Scheme 12.1 are examples. These molecules are just as stable under ordinary conditions of temperature and atmosphere as typical closed-shell molecules. Entry 2 is somewhat less stable to oxygen, although it can exist indefinitely in the absence of oxygen. The structures shown in entries 1, 2, and 4 all permit extensive delocalization of the unpaired electron into aromatic rings. These highly delocalized radicals show no tendency toward dimerization or disproportionation. Radicals that have long lifetimes and are resistant to dimerization or other routes for bimolecular self-annihilation are called stable free radicals. The term inert free radical has been suggested for species such as entry 4, which is unreactive under ordinary conditions and is thermally stable even at 300°C. ... 

Most polymerizations in this section can be categorized as stable (Tree) radical-mediated polymerizations (sometimes abbreviated as SFRMP). In the following discussion systems have been classed according to the type of stable radical involved, which usually correlates with the type of bond homolyzed in the activation process. Those described include systems where the stable radical is a sulfur-ccntered radical (Section 9.3.2), a selenium-centered radical (Section 9.3.3), a carbon-centered radical (Sections 9.3.4 and 9.3.5), an oxygen-centered radical (Sections 9.3.6, 9.3.7), or a nitrogcn-ccntcrcd radical (Section 9.3.8). Wc also consider polymerization mediated by cobalt complexes (Section 9.3.9) and certain monomers (Section 9.3.5). 

The reaction with nitrite proceeds smoothly and with relatively high yields of the corresponding nitroarene (see Sec. 10.6). Obviously a major part of the driving force of this reaction is the formation of a stable, i. e., an energetically favorable, radical, nitrogen dioxide. With the hydroxide ion — a much stronger nucleophile than the nitrite ion — the reaction is expected to produce very unstable radicals, the hydroxy radical OH and the oxygen radical anion O, from the diazohydroxide (Ar - N2 — OH) and the diazoate (Ar-N20 ) respectively. Consequently, dediazoniation in alkaline aqueous solution does not follow the simple Scheme 8-41 with Yn = OH, but instead involves diazoanhydrides (Ar — N2 —O —N2 —Ar) as intermediates (see Sec. 8.8). 

In PE, these trapped radicals have been identihed as, mainly, alkyl and allyl radicals with the stmctures (—CH2CHCH2—) and (—CH—CH=CH—) [134,135]. In the presence of oxygen, the polymeric radicals will react to form diperoxides and hydroperoxides, as well as certain amount of less stable peroxy radicals (—CH2OO ). 

Ribonucleotide reductase is responsible for the conversion of the four biological ribonucleotides (RNA) into their corresponding deoxy forms (DNA). Although RNR is not an oxygenase during its primary catalyzed reaction (the conversion of ribonucleotides), it activates oxygen to generate a stable tyrosyl radical that is essential to the overall mechanism [46 49]. The common link between the chemistry of MMO and RNR is the activation of O2 by the di-iron active site. 

The radicals (14) formed may be trapped with, for example, (10) above. Simple alkyl thiyl radicals such as MeS have been detected as reaction intermediates they are highly reactive. Relatively stable oxygen-containing radicals are also known. Thus the phenoxy radical (15),... 

The decomposition of aliphatic peroxides produces oxygen radicals too unstable for paramagnetic measurement. These radicals initiate the polymerization of olefins and give the complex mixtures of decomposition products associated with radical mechanisms. On the other hand, aliphatic peroxides are also capable of polar decomposition reactions, a subject to be taken up in Chapter VIII. The characteristic reactions of the less stable oxygen free radicals are /3-cleavage to form... 

In addition, such chelators, based on the hydroxamic acid bidentate ligand, may diminish the toxic effect of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), such as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, by generating relatively stable nitroxyl radicals. ... 

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