The two-parameter taft equation in kinetics of free radical reactions

A new method was developed for the calculation of the resonance substituent constants of the two-parameter Taft equation log k_sub/k₀=ρ*σ*+r*σ^r. It is based on a relationship between the spin density in free radicals and the rate constants of radical substitution reactions of CH₃. Possibilities and limitations of the application of this correlation equation to the investigation of substitution and addition radical reactions are discussed.     

Combination and disproportionation reactions of allylic radicals with ethyl,propyl, and t-Butyl Radicals

1-Methylallyl, 1,1-dimethylallyl, 1,2-dimethylallyl, 1,3-dimethylallyl, 1,1,2-trimethylallyl, and 1-ethylallyl radicals have been generated in the gas phase at 20 ± 1°C by addition of H atoms, formed by Hg(6³P₁) photosensitization of H₂, to appropriate dienes. Their combination reactions with ethyl radicals have been studied and the relative reactivities of the reaction centers in each allylic radical determined. Similar measurements have been made for some combination reactions of n-propyl, i-propyl, and t-butyl with 1-methylallyl and 1,1,2-trimethylallyl radicals. The more substituted reaction centers are found to be the less reactive. In addition the self-combination and disproportionation of 1-methylallyl radicals has been investigated, as has cross disproportionation of each allylic radical with ethyl. The results establish a general pattern of reactivity for these radicals, which is interpreted primarily in terms of the effects of steric interaction during reaction.     

Chemical ionization mass spectrometry of benzoyl peroxide: A radical aromatic substitution resulting in biphenylcarboxylic acid in the gas phase

A radical aromatic substitution resulting in biphenylcarboxylic acid is inferred for the decomposition of benzoyl peroxide from the chemical ionization and collision-induced dissociation mass spectra. The thermolysis of benzoyl peroxide gives rise to a benzoyloxy radical, which undergoes rapid decarboxylation and hydrogen abstraction leading to phenyl radical and benzoic acid, respectively. Attack of the resulting phenyl radical on the benzoic acid results in biphenylcarboxylic acid. On the other hand, the phenyl radical abstracts a hydrogen atom to yield benzene, which is then subjected to the attack of a benzoyloxy radical, affording phenyl benzoate. This substitution reaction rather than the recombination of benzoyloxy and phenyl radicals is found to be responsible for the formation of phenyl benzoate under the present conditions.     

Studies on reactivity of benzoyl and benzoylperoxy radicals produced by laser flash photolysis of dibenzoyldiazene in aerated solutions

Photolysis of dibenzoyldiazene gives benzoyl radicals. In aerated solutions, the benzoyl radicals react with oxygen to yield benzoylperoxy radicals. Spin trapping studies indicate that 5,5′dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide reacts with the benzoylperoxy radicals to produce the adduct which exhibits ESR parameters, A_N = 13.8 G and A_Hβ = 10.1 G. Laser photolysis studies reveal that the rate constants for the reaction between the benzoyl radical and oxygen are ca. 4 × 10⁹ M^-1 s^-1 in toluene, acetone, and ethyl acetate. The benzoylperoxy radicals undergo one-electron oxidation of tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, TMPD, to give an ion pair. The ion pair has an absorption spectrum similar to that of the TMPD cation radical. The formation of the ion pair is detected by monitoring the absorbance change at 600 nm after laser pulsing. From the kinetic studies for the formation of the ion pair in the presence of olefins, the bimolecular rate constants for reactions between several olefins and the benzoylperoxy radical are determined. The electrophilic addition of the benzoylperoxy radicals to olefins is discussed in comparison with the addition reactions of thiyl radicals to olefins. The detection and determination of the dipole moments of both the benzoylperoxy radicals and the ion pair are carried out with the use of the time-resolved microwave dielectric absorption technique. The distance between the positive and negative ions in the ion pair is estimated as 0.20 nm.     

S′H type reactions of substituted allylic compounds

S′_H reactions of allyl sulfides and halides with phenyl radicals are reported. Thermal decomposition of phenylazotriphenylmethane with allyl sulfides and bromide has been shown to give allylbenzene. This apparent substitution reaction involves attack of a phenyl radical on the terminal unsaturated carbon atom of the allyl sulfide; the reaction in α,α-dimethylallyl ethyl sulfide produced 2-methyl-4-phenylbutene-2. To estimate the relative reactivities of allylic substrates towards phenyl radicals, competitive reactions of phenyl radicals with allylic compounds and carbon tetrachloride were investigated. The data indicate that the radical formed by addition of a phenyl radical to the allylic sulfide looses thiyl radicals almost quantitatively.     

The Reaction of 2-Arylvinamindinium Perchlorates with Sodium Borohydride and Sodium Cyanoborohydride

In the last few years, numerous efforts have been directed to the development of acetonylation methods¹. Recent works in this laboratory have shown that O, O-t-butyl and O-isopropenyl peroxycarbonate 1 can be regarded as a good acetonylation reagent; its decomposition in solution results in the substitution of an hydrogen atom by an acetonyl group on each compound Σ-H able to undergo free radical addition reactions to alkenes². The following free radical chain reaction mechanism has been proposed:      

Rotating ring-disk electrode studies of the reaction of stable radical cations with styrene and isobutyl vinyl ether

An electroanalytical technique has been utilized in a new method for the study of reactive intermediates in polymerization reactions. A ring-disk electrode system generated persistent carbocation radicals whose stability decreased in the order: 1,3,6,8-tetraphenylpyrene (TPP), rubrene (Ru), 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA), and 9,10-dimethylanthracene (DMA). Radical cations from these parent compounds flowed to a collecting ring which was controlled potentiostatically to reduce unreacted cations. When styrene or isobytyl vinyl ether was added to the solution, the concentration of carbocation radicals reaching the electrode was reduced. Current collection efficiencies N were determined as a function of rotation speed ω for each monomer concentration. Plots of N^?1 as ω^?1 in the absence of monomer show no dependence on ω (indicative of stable intermediates), but a linear dependence is found with each concentration of monomer. This indicates a first-order dependence on radical cation concentration. The rate constants show a trend in cation reactivities which is in agreement with that obtained by other methods. This technique, however, extends the range of investigation to a much shorter time scale.     

Kinetic parameters and geometry of the transition state of acyl radical decarbonylation

Experimental data on acyl radical decomposition reactions (RC^·O → R^· + CO, where R = alkyl or aryl) are analyzed in terms of the intersecting parabolas method. Kinetic parameters characterizing these reactions are calculated. The transition state of methyl radical addition to CO at the C atoms is calculated using the DFT method. A semiempirical algorithm is constructed for calculating the transition state geometry for the decomposition of acyl radicals and for the reverse reactions of R^· addition to CO. Kinetic parameters (activation energy and rate constant) and geometry (interatomic distances in the transition state) are calculated for 18 decomposition reactions of structurally different acyl radicals. A linear correlation between the interatomic distance r ^#(C…C) (or r ^#(C…O)) in the transition state the enthalpy of the reaction (δH _e) is established for acyl decomposition reactions (at br _e = const). A comparative analysis of the enthalpies, activation energies, and interatomic distances in the transition state is carried out for the decomposition and formation of acyl, carboxyl, and formyl radicals.     

Free-radical generation mechanism and antimalarial activity of cyclohexyl endoperoxides

A kinetic analysis has been carried out for a cascade of intramolecular oxidation reactions of free radicals generated in the redox reactions of substituted cyclohexyl endoperoxides (15 compounds) with the Fe²⁺ ion. Each radical conversion reaction has been characterized by its enthalpy, activation energy, and rate constant. Kinetic characteristics have been calculated by the intersecting parabolas method. Depending on their structure, cyclohexyl endoperoxides generate one to three radicals. There is a linear empirical correlation between the number of radicals generated by a peroxide and its molar antimalarial activity (IC ₅₀/M, where M is the molar mass of the peroxide). The peroxides that generate no more than one radical show no antimalarial activity.     

SET and HAT/PCET acid-mediated oxidation processes in helical shaped fused bis-phenothiazines

Helical shaped fused bis-phenothiazines 1 – 9 have been prepared and their red-ox behaviour quantitatively studied. Helicene radical cations (Hel^.+) can be obtained either by UV-irradiation in the presence of PhCl or by chemical oxidation. The latter process is extremely sensitive to the presence of acids in the medium with molecular oxygen becoming a good single electron transfer (SET) oxidant. The reaction of hydroxy substituted helicenes 5 – 9 with peroxyl radicals (ROO^.) occurs with a ‘classical’ HAT process giving HelO^. radicals with kinetics depending upon the substitution pattern of the aromatic rings. In the presence of acetic acid, a fast medium-promoted proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process takes place with formation of HelO^. radicals possibly also via a helicene radical cation intermediate. Remarkably, also helicenes 1 – 4 , lacking phenoxyl groups, in the presence of acetic acid react with peroxyl radicals through a medium-promoted PCET mechanism with formation of the radical cations Hel^.+. Along with the synthesis, EPR studies of radicals and radical cations, BDE of Hel-OH group (BDE_OH), and kinetic constants (k_inh) of the reactions with ROO^. species of helicenes 1 – 9 have been measured and calculated to afford a complete rationalization of the redox behaviour of these appealing chiral compounds.     

Homolytic substitutions in indolinone nitroxide radicals—I: Reaction with aroyloxyl radicals

Indolinone nitroxides undergo a homolytic substitution with aroyl oxyl radicals, leading to two isomers, 7-aroyloxy- and 5-aroyloxy-derivative, respectively, whose structures were assigned on the basis of the ESR hfccs and of the ¹H NMR spectra of the corresponding amines. The presence of aroyl oxyl radicals in the reaction medium was demonstrated by thermal decomposition of benzoyl peroxide in the presence of aromatic acids.     

Reactivities of silane coupling agents in the silica/rubber composites: Theoretical insights into the relationships between energy barriers and electronic characteristics

Si69 and Si75, typical commodities of silane coupling agents, are often employed in tire recipes to work as the bridges connecting silica and polymers, with which rolling resistance and wet traction are enhanced without loss in abrasion resistance. In this article, the reactivities of Si69 and Si75 with silica and various rubbers were theoretically investigated by using density functional theory (DFT). When the agents were coupled with silica, not only the acid+water condition but also the pure acid condition was confirmed to readily trigger the condensation reactions. The corresponding Gibbs free energy barriers were related to the charge distributions of reaction regions. As the agents suffered from the homolysis of central S S bonds, the generated single-S-tailer radicals (R S·) showed significantly higher reactivities of both the radical addition and the α-H transfer reactions with rubbers, due to the stronger radical philicities of the terminal sulfur radicals with larger condensed local softnesses [s⁰(S)]. When the agents underwent the heterolysis of central S S bonds, the terminal sulfur anions with smaller s⁻(S) indices, however, facilitated the nucleophilic addition reactions with rubbers. Several derivative indices based on the condensed local softnesses were also proposed here to shed light on the reactivities from the viewpoint of the relationship between energy barriers and electronic characteristics. The above findings pave the way for the design of new kinds of silane coupling agents using computer-aided techniques, and meanwhile, provide references for the practical application of Si69 and Si75 to the silica/rubbers systems.     

Radical-induced aromatic substitution between benzoyl peroxide and benzenediols in the gas phase characterized by mass spectrometry

A radical-induced aromatic substitution mechanism for the reaction between benzoyl peroxide and benzenediols in the gas phase was characterized by mass spectrometry. The benzoyloxy radical produced from the homolysis of benzoyl peroxide associates at its carbonyl group with the phenolic hydroxyl group. The pairing tendency of the unpaired electron on the oxygen of the radical induces electron transfer along the hydrogen bond, which results in the rupture of the O? H bond of the phenol and aromatic substitution at the ortho position of the benzoyloxy radical. Supporting evidence for the mechanism was obtained by isotope labelling.     

Chain transfer in ethylene polymerization

Chain transfer constants in the homogeneous free-radical polymerization of ethylene at 1360 atm. and 130°C. have been determined for over 50 compounds, including nearly 300 hydrocarbons. The effects of substitution, unsaturation, and ring strain in the transfer agent molecule on the reactivity of its C? H bonds in chain-transfer reactions with a polyethylene growing chain are analyzed. Qualitatively, these trends parallel those found for simple radicals attacking simple molecules. However, the principle that the reactivity of a compound is the sum of the reactivities of all reactive bonds, which is well established for simple radicals and transfer agents, is found not to be true in ethylene polymerization. It is postulated that the deviations from this principle are due to steric factors which become very important when the free radical is bulky. The transfer constants measured in ethylene polymerization are also compared with transfer constants in other systems. A strong correlation is found between the transfer constants in ethylene and published data on rates of abstraction of hydrogen atoms by methyl radicals.     

Thermal decomposition of p-methyl-p'-nitrobenzoyl and bis-p-nitrobenzoyl peroxides

Differential enthalpic analysis was carried out below the melting point as well as at regular increases of temperature over the melting point of peroxides. From these measurements it follows that the thermal stabilities of peroxides in the solid state increase with their melting points. The rise in the melting point of the peroxide due to changed chemical structure is accompanied by a rise in the melting points of products which in turn affects the isothermal autocatalytic decomposition. The common feature of the thermal decomposition of the peroxides studied below their melting points is a very high apparent activation energy of the initiation of a chain decomposition reaction which is several times higher than that of a spontaneous thermal decomposition of peroxide in solution or in a melt of peroxide. p]From the study of the decomposition of nitro derivatives of benzoyl peroxide in solution it is known¹ that the electron attracting nitro-substituents have a retarding effect on the spontaneous decomposition of peroxides. The introduction which accompanies its thermal decomposition in solution². However not only the substitution of nitro groups in the molecule but also the presence of nitro compounds accelerates the decomposition of benzoyl peroxide³. This indicates that the decomposition reaction may be influenced not only by an intramolecular rearrangement of electrons but also by an intermolecular interaction of nitro compounds with the peroxidic compounds or radicals generated by them. The substitution of methyl groups for hydrogen in aromatic rings does not produce any marked changes in the decomposition reactions of benzoyl peroxide². p]Among other changes produced by substitution, the physical changes—in particular, the changes in the melting points of investigated substances—are of importance to out study of the thermal decomposition of nitro derivatives of nitro derivatives of benzoyl peroxide. These data are interesting mainly because the decomposition of peroxides is influenced by the state of aggregation of the decomposing substances.     

Kinetics and mechanisms of substitution at paramagnetic metal centers in organometallic complexes

The mechanism of ligand substitution in 17- and 19-electron organometallic radicals is discussed. These species substitute ligands by an associative process some 10⁶ to 10¹⁰ faster than analogous 18-electron complexes. When 17-electron species can be generated by bond homolysis or electron transfer reactions of 18-electron complexes, they can act as intermediates in radical chain reactions of 18-electron complexes. A 17–19 electron rule is proposed to explain transformations of organometallic radicals just as the 16–18 electron rule finds use for closed shell organometallic complexes. The origin of this rule is the favorable two-center three-electron bond that can form when an odd electron in a sterically accessible metal d-orbital interacts with an electron pair on an entering nucleophile. Besides simple substitution, these radicals can disproportionate, dimerize, and undergo insertion or atom abstraction reactions.     

Rate constants for reactions of perfluorobutylperoxyl radical with alkenes

Perfluorobutylperoxyl radicals were produced by radiolytic reduction of perfluorobutyl iodide in aerated methanol solutions. Rate constants for the reactions of this peroxyl radical with various organic compounds were determined by kinetic spectrophotometric pulse radiolysis. The rate constants for alkanes and alkenes were determined by competition kinetics using chlorpromazine as a reference. The results indicate that hydrogen abstraction from aliphatic compounds takes place with a rate constant that is too slow to measure in our system (<10⁵ M^?1 s^?1), and that abstraction of allylic and doubly allylic hydrogens is slow compared with addition. Addition to alkenes takes place with rate constants of the order of k = 10⁶ ? 10⁸ M^?1 s^?1. Good correlation was obtained between log k and the Taft substituent constants σ* for the various substituents on the double bond. Perfluorobutylperoxyl radical is found to be more reactive than trichloromethylperoxyl and other peroxyl radicals.     

The site of radical attack at the furan ring from MNDO calculations

The semi-empirical SCF MNDO method has been used to calculate the radical reactivities for each reaction site in some neutral furan molecules as the average of the HOMO and LUMO probabilities both in 2p_z atomic orbitals 1

1 SCF: Self-consistent field; MNDO: modified neglect of differential overlap; HOMO: highest occupied molecular orbital; LUMO: lowest unoccupied molecular orbital.

. The carbon atoms C⁵ and C² of of the furan ring are the most favoured sites except for the furan derivatives holding a double bond in the substituent group. Also the SOMO 2

2 SOMO: Single occupied molecular orbital.

probabilities of the radicals formed by addition of a hydrogen atom or a vinyl acetate model radical were calculated. Thus, once a radical is added to the C⁵ position the resulting radical can be partially localized on the carbon C². Furthermore, the enthalpy of reaction for several radicals was estimated by using the calculated heats of formation of the neutral furan molecules and their radicals. The radical addition to the carbon C ⁵ resulted in the most exothermic reaction in comparison with other reaction sites of the molecule. However, no correlation was found between the calculated enthalpies and the degradative-transfer kinetic constants experimentally determined for the radical polymerization of vinyl acetate in the presence of the furan compounds under study.     

Probing the reactivity of photoinitiators for free radical polymerization: time-resolved infrared spectroscopic study of benzoyl radicals

A series of substituted benzoyl radicals has been generated by laser flash photolysis of alpha-hydroxy ketones, alpha-amino ketones, and acyl and bis(acyl)phosphine oxides, all of which are used commercially as photoinitiators in free radical polymerizations. The benzoyl radicals have been studied by fast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. The absolute rate constants for their reaction with n-butylacrylate, thiophenol, bromotrichloromethane and oxygen were measured in acetonitrile solution. The rate constants of benzoyl radical addition to n-butylacrylate range from 1.3 x 10(5) to 5.5 x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) and are about 2 orders of magnitude lower than for the n-butylacrylate addition to the counterradicals that are produced by alpha-cleavage of the investigated ketones. Density functional theoretical calculations have been performed in order to rationalize the observed reactivities of the initiating radicals. Calculations of the phosphorus-centered radicals generated by photolysis of an acyl and bis(acyl)phosphine oxide suggest that P atom Mulliken spin populations are an indicator of the relative reactivities of the phosphorus-centered radicals. The alpha-cleavage of (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide was studied by picosecond pump-probe and nanosecond step-scan time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. The results support a mechanism in which the alpha-cleavage occurs from the triplet excited state that has a lifetime less than or equal to the singlet excited state.     

Enhanced Reactivities of Iron(IV)‐Oxo Porphyrin π‐Cation Radicals in Oxygenation Reactions by Electron‐Donating Axial Ligands

The proximal axial ligand in heme iron enzymes plays an important role in tuning the reactivities of iron(IV)‐oxo porphyrin π‐cation radicals in oxidation reactions. The present study reports the effects of axial ligands in olefin epoxidation, aromatic hydroxylation, alcohol oxidation, and alkane hydroxylation, by [(tmp)^+. Fe^IV(O)(p‐Y‐PyO)]⁺ ( 1 ‐Y) (tmp=meso‐tetramesitylporphyrin, p‐Y‐PyO=para‐substituted pyridine N‐oxides, and Y=OCH₃, CH₃, H, Cl). In all of the oxidation reactions, the reactivities of 1 ‐Y are found to follow the order 1 ‐OCH₃ > 1 ‐CH₃ > 1 ‐H > 1 ‐Cl; negative Hammett ρ values of ?1.4 to ?2.7 were obtained by plotting the reaction rates against the σ_p values of the substituents of p‐Y‐PyO. These results, as well as previous ones on the effect of anionic nucleophiles, show that iron(IV)‐oxo porphyrin π‐cation radicals bearing electron‐donating axial ligands are more reactive in oxo‐transfer and hydrogen‐atom abstraction reactions. These results are counterintuitive since iron(IV)‐oxo porphyrin π‐cation radicals are electrophilic species. Theoretical calculations of anionic and neutral ligands reproduced the counterintuitive experimental findings and elucidated the root cause of the axial ligand effects. Thus, in the case of anionic ligands, as the ligand becomes a better electron donor, it strengthens the FeO? H bond and thereby enhances its H‐abstraction activity. In addition, it weakens the Fe?O bond and encourages oxo‐transfer reactivity. Both are Bell–Evans–Polanyi effects, however, in a series of neutral ligands like p‐Y‐PyO, there is a relatively weak trend that appears to originate in two‐state reactivity (TSR). This combination of experiment and theory enabled us to elucidate the factors that control the reactivity patterns of iron(IV)‐oxo porphyrin π‐cation radicals in oxidation reactions and to resolve an enigmatic and fundamental problem.