Mutual Effect of Functional Groups and the Radical Center on the Reactivity of Nitroxyl Radicals

This review considers the correlation between the reactivity of nitroxyl radicals (piperidine, pyrroline, pyrrolidine, imidazoline, dihydroquinoline, tetrahydroquinoline, diphenyl nitroxide, etc.) and their chemical structure in terms of the rate constants of reactions between these radicals and hydrazobenzene. 4,4′-Di(tert-butyl)diphenyl nitroxyl has the highest reactivity, and the nitroxyl radical of benzoindolopyrrolidine is the least reactive (the difference is a factor of ∼10⁴). The effects of the metal atom in stable organometallic nitroxyl radicals and of the halogen atom in halogenated nitroxyl radicals on the reactivity of the nitroxyl center are considered. Data on the effect of the nitroxyl center on the reactivity of functional groups in the piperidine nitroxyl radical are generalized. Nitroxyl radicals with an activated double bond are shown by quantum chemical calculations to form cyclic transition complexes with amines, involving both the paramagnetic center and a double bond. This explains why the activated double bond in nitroxyl radicals is more reactive in nucleophilic additions of amines than the same bond in their diamagnetic analogues. The rate constants of nitroxyl reduction with hydrazobenzene and of nitroxyl oxidation with tetranitromethane are related to the σ_ESR constant derived from isotropic hyperfine coupling constants HFC_(aN), and their correlation with Hammett constants is demonstrated. The role of solvents in the reduction and oxidation of the nitroxyl radicals is considered. The influence of hydroxyl radical-polar solvent complexes and hydroxylamine-polar solvent H complexes on the course of reactions is considered for hydrogen atom transfer in systems of a sterically hindered nitroxyl radical and hydroxylamine.__________Translated from Kinetika i Kataliz, Vol. 46, No. 4, 2005, pp. 506–528.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Malievskii, Shapiro.     

Some aspects of polyethylene photooxidation

The hydroperoxides produced by thermal oxidation of LDPE films were used to study their photolysis. Product analysis, kinetics of hydroperoxide decomposition and product formation as well as experiments with model compounds point to new mechanisms of hydroperoxide photolysis. Intermolecular as well as intramolecular decomposition mechanisms are proposed. In polyethylene, these reactions are essentially non-initiating. In addition, it is confirmed that ketones such as those formed by oxidation of polyethylene do not have a significant initiating effect. Reactions of excited charge-transfer complexes polyethylene-oxygen are proposed to account for initiation of photo-oxidation. One of these reactions yields trans-vinylene groups and hydrogen peroxide whose direct decomposition or subsequent photolysis will generate hydroxyl radicals. It is found that this reaction is quenched very efficiently by small amounts of HALS (Hindered Amine Light Stabilizers) and by amines in general. It is postulated that quenching is due to energy transfer from the charge-tranfer complex polymer-oxygen to a charge-transfer complex HALS-oxygen or amine-oxygen. The data available so far support such a mechanism.     

Nitrogen Dioxide Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Cleavage of C(OH)–C Bonds of Secondary Alcohols to Produce Acids

Stable organic nitroxyl radicals are an important class of catalysts for oxidation reactions, but their wide applications are hindered by their steric hinderance, high cost, complex operation, and separation procedures. Herein, NO₂ in DMSO is shown to effectively catalyze the aerobic oxidative cleavage of C(OH)?C bonds to form a carboxylic group, and NO₂ was generated in situ by decomposition of nitrates. A diverse range of secondary alcohols were selectively converted into acids in excellent yields in this transition‐metal‐free system without any additives. Preliminary results also indicate its applicability to depolymerize recalcitrant macromolecular lignin. Detail studies revealed that NO₂ from nitrates promoted the reaction, and NO₂ served as hydrogen acceptor and radical initiator for the tandem oxidative reaction.     

一些氮氧自由基和受阻胺化合物对单重态氧的猝灭能力及其与光稳定作用的关系

本工作测定了一系列稳定氟氧自由基( )化合物及一些受阻胺光稳定剂对单重态氧(¹O₂)的猝灭速率常数(k_q^1O₂),发现不同结构的 对¹O₂的猝灭能力很接近,但它们对聚丙烯(PP)膜的光稳定作用却相差很大。四甲基哌啶醇(TMP)及其衍生物对¹O₂的猝灭能力远不如相应的五甲基哌啶醇(PMP)及其衍生物,但前者对PP的光稳定能力却胜于后者。这说明在对聚合物的光稳定作用中, 和受阻胺光稳定剂对¹O₂的粹灭作用不占重要地位,也说明¹O₂在PP的光氧化过程中很可能不是主要因素。     

Interactions of stabilizers during oxidation processes

The antioxidative action of mixtures of phenols, phosphites, HALS, ^a) and some of their transformation products in various compositions has been studied in the thermo- and photo-oxidation of hydrocarbons and polypropylene under different conditions. In the AIBN-initiated oxidation of hydrocarbons at low temperatures (< 80°C), hindered phenols, hindered aryl phosphites and the nitroxyl derivatives of HALS act antioxidatively when used individually in appropriate concentrations. Secondary HALS do not show any induction period, but a certain retardation of the oxidation process after some reaction time. The inhibiting efficiency of nitroxyls observed cannot be explained completely by the currently accepted action mechanisms of HALS, but is also related to the reaction of the nitroxyls with alkylperoxyl radicals. In mixtures with hindered phenols, HALS have almost no influence on the rate of thermooxidation at low temperatures. Their nitroxyl derivatives, however, always exhibit synergism, most pronounced when both stabilizers are used in equimolar ratios. During the photooxidation phenols lower the efficiency of HALS. The influence of mixtures of stabilizers on the oxidative stability of polypropylene is rather different and depends on the oxidation conditions, the structure, the concentration and the ratio of the stabilizers. Synergistic as well as antagonistic effects are observed. Both aliphatic and aromatic phosphites studied act synergistically when used together and with phenols. This demonstrates that for acting as synergist for phenols, the hydrogen peroxide decomposing capability of the phosphites, but not their chain breaking activity is important. HALS-phosphites and phosphonites, containing amine and phosphorus units in one molecule, are highly effective inhibitors of photo- and thermooxidation and exhibit lower critical antioxidant concentrations and longer induction periods than phosphites alone. They even exceed the efficiency of phenols in many cases. Transformation products of phenolic antioxidants investigated act differently and in many cases contrarily under photo- and thermooxidative conditions. Therefore, they influence the efficiency of stabilizer mixtures also in a different way.     

Reaction of 4H- and 2H-imidazole oxides with organolithium compounds,a novel route to stable nitroxyl radicals of the 2(3)-imidazoline series

Reactions of 4H and 2H-imidazole oxides with phenyl- and methyilithium followed by oxidation afford stable nitroxyl radicals — derivatives of 2- and 3-imidazolines including otherwise inaccessible sterically hindered radicals of the latter group. An unusual reaction, the formation of 2-azabutadiene derivatives after NO elimination in the dark, has been observed for pentaphenyl- and 5-methyltetraphenyl-3-imidazoline-1-oxyls.Translated fromIzyestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 933–936, May, 1993.     

TWO NEW METHODS OF ACTINOMETRY FOR EPR-MEASUREMENTS

Abstract— Two methods to perform actinometry in an EPR-cavity are described. One method is based on the observation that photoproduced anion radicals of hematoporphyrin react with the stable free radical 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone-N-oxyl to eliminate the spin. The other method is based on the dye sensitized photoproduction of nitroxyl radicals resulting from the reaction of singlet oxygen with sterically hindered amines.     

Mechanisms of antioxidant action: Auto-synergistic behaviour of nitrones

The antioxidant activities of a number of nitrones have been studied in model systems initiated by both alkoxy radical generators (hydroperoxides) and an alkylperoxy radical generator (azo-bis-isobutyronitrile in the presence of oxygen). Simple nitrones are ineffective in the presence of the latter but are highly effective in the presence of the former. An auto-synergistic mechanism has been shown to be involved due to the ability of nitrones to destroy hydroperoxides in a stoichiometric reaction and at the same time to scavenge alkoxy radicals formed by homolysis of hydroperoxides. Nitrones containing additional conventional phenolic antioxidant functions are effective in an alkylperoxy radical initiated system but do not show the usual structure-activity relationships.     

The determination of small amounts of organic hydroperoxides in the presence of hindered amine light stabilizers and their nitroxyls

A method for the quantitative determination of hydroperoxide (ROOH) in the presence of hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) and/or their nitroxyl free radical derivatives has been elaborated. The method is based on the quantitative reduction of hydroperoxides by triphenyl phosphine. The resulting compounds (alcohols) are then determined by GLC using the internal standard technique. The method has been tested on the hydroperoxides derived from 2,4-dimethylpentane. Its sensitivity and reproducibility appear to be comparable with other methods for ROOH determination but, unlike the latter, it has the advantage that its results are not influenced by the presence of HALS and/or their nitroxyl radical derivatives in the analyzed medium.     

Autocatalysis by the nitroxyl radical in the cyclic mechanism of chain termination in polymer oxidation

The activation energy and rate constant of the reaction between the nitroxyl radical and N-alkoxyamine as a concerted abstraction–fragmentation reaction have been calculated using the intersecting parabolas model. This reaction proceeds fairly rapidly and leads to nitroxyl radical autoregeneration as a result of the following consecutive reactions:AmO^? + AmOR → AmOH + >C=O + Am^?, RO ₂ ^? + AmOH → ROOH + AmO^?, Am^?+ O₂ → Am ₂ ^? , and 2AmO ₂ ^? → 2AmO^? + O₂. Thus, the nitroxyl radical is an effective radical catalyst for its own regeneration from N-alkoxyamine. The rates of regeneration of the nitroxyl radical from its N-alkoxyamine under the action of alkyl, alkoxyl, peroxyl, nitroxyl, and hydroperoxyl radicals under conditions of polypropylene oxidation inhibited by the nitroxyl radical are compared. It is demonstrated that only peroxyl, hydroperoxyl, and nitroxyl radicals are involved in AmO^? regeneration from AmOR.     

Some mechanistic considerations of hindered amine uv stabilisers

Hindered amines are good uv stabilisers. Tetra-substituted hindered amines are usually better uv stabilisers than tri-substituted ones. Among bicyclo tri-substituted amines the uv stabilisation activity appears to depend on the degree of hindrance around the nitrogen atom and the way in which the two rings are fused together.This conclusion is based on the finding that 2,2,4-trimethyl-trans-decahydroquinoline (trans-TDQ) is a better uv stabiliser than cis-TDQ in polypropylene. The same trend was found between 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2,2,4-trimethyl-trans-decahydroquinoline (trans-HETDQ-1) and cis-HETDQ-1. The difference in the uv stabilisation activity of these isomers is explained in terms of the relative stability of the nitroxyl radical of trans and cis TDQ.     

Formation of polymer-bonded nitroxyl radicals in the UV stabilization of polypropylene by a bifunctional hindered amine light stabilizer

The formation of polymer-bonded stabilizer derivatives during photooxidation of isotactic polypropylene, which contains the hindered amine light stabilizer bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate and the corresponding bisnitroxyl radical, was investigated. The photooxidized polypropylene films that contain these additives were studied by ESR, IR, and nitrogen analysis before and after exhaustive solvent extraction of the photooxidized films. ESR showed that under the conditions in use a maximum of 20% of the nitroxyl radicals formed from the hindered amine was bonded to the polymer chain. Regeneration of nitroxyl radicals from the polymer-bonded stabilizer derivatives under photooxidative conditions indicated that the stabilizer was bonded to the polymer chain by O-alkyl-substituted hydroxylamine linkages >N? O? PP.     

Photostabilising action of a p-hydroxybenzoate light stabiliser in polyolefins: Part IV—Catalyst effects and additive interactions in linear low density polyethylene

The photostabilising action of a p-hydroxybenzoate light stabiliser (Cyasorb® UV2908) is examined in linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). The efficiency of this light stabiliser is shown to be significantly influenced by levels of residual catalyst such as Ti and Al. Deactivation of the catalysts with phosphoric acid in 2-propanol markedly improves both the performance and light stability of the stabiliser. Processing history reduces the efficiency of the stabiliser whereas its light stability increases linearly with processing time and is associated with the ability of the residual catalyst to destroy hydroperoxides during processing. Stabilising efficiency, however, is reduced by a corresponding reduction in stabiliser concentration during processing. The stabiliser synergises effectively during both oven ageing and photo-oxidation with a hindered piperidine light stabiliser due to the complementary function of each additive. Thus, whilst the former terminates primarily alkoxy/hydroxy radicals produced from the decomposition of hydroperoxides, the latter destroys hydroperoxides in a stoichiometric reaction and through the nitroxyl radical intermediate which selectively reacts with macroalkyl (P^?) radicals and through the hydroxylamine which reacts with peroxy radicals (PO₂^?). Strong synergism is also observed with TiO₂ (rutile).     

Thermal and photo-oxidative behaviour of hindered piperidine compounds in polypropylene: Importance of hydroxylamine in stabilisation

The thermal oxidation behaviour of three hindered piperidine compounds has been examined in polypropylene film by oven ageing in air at 140°C together with its subsequent effect on rate of photo-oxidation. The amine, bis[2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl] sebacate, shows a rapid growth in nitroxyl radical concentration due to reaction with hydroperoxides whereas the bis-nitroxyl derivative is relatively stable and decreases in concentration very slowly, giving the hydroxylamine. The ageing process results in an improvement in photo-stability and this is associated with the reaction of the nitroxyl radical with a tertiary radical to give the hydroxylamine and ethylenic unsaturation. The mono nitroxyl compound behaves differently during the early stages of ageing in that there is a rapid decrease in concentration and this is followed by a rapid fall in photo-stability. Only during the latter stages of ageing does hydroxylamine production appear to control photo-stability.     

Mechanism of electrochemical oxidation of spatially hindered amines of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine series

Electrooxidation of spatially hindered amines of the series of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine in the medium of acetonitrile results in formation of radical cations, aminyl radicals, nitroxyl radicals, and oxoammonium salts identified using the methods of cyclic voltammetry and ESR spectroscopy.     

Trapping of fatty acid allyl radicals generated in lipoxygenase reactions in biological fluids by nitroxyl radical

Nitroxyl radicals can trap fatty acid allyl radicals on ferric‐lipoxygenases at lower oxygen content, which are an intermediate in the lipoxygenase reaction. In the present study, we examined whether nitroxyl radical‐trapping of fatty acid allyl radicals on the enzyme proceeds in biological fluids with abundant antioxidants. The fatty acid allyl radical–nitroxyl radical adducts were quantified by HPLC with electrochemical detection (HPLC‐ECD); the adducts in eluate degraded into nitroxyl radical by passing through heating coil at 100°C, and then nitroxyl radical was detected by electrochemical detector. Soybean 15‐lipoxygenase and nitroxyl radical (3‐carbamoyl‐2,2,5,5‐tetramethyl‐3‐pyrroline‐N‐oxyl, CmΔP) were mixed with rat serum prepared from fresh venous blood, and the solution was stood at 37°C for 1 h. One volume of the solution was mixed with 5 vols of cold acetonitrile. After centrifugation, the supernatant was subjected to HPLC‐ECD. Arachidonate allyl radical–CmΔP adducts as well as linoleate allyl radical–CmΔP adducts were detected in the solution, and the content of these adducts remarkably increased in the presence of phospholipase A₂. It is proved for the first time that nitroxyl radical traps fatty acid allyl radicals generated in the lipoxygenase reaction in biological fluid without competition from endogenous antioxidants. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The thermal reaction of sterically hindered nitroxyl radicals with allylic and benzylic substrates: experimental and computational evidence for divergent mechanisms

The reaction of stable sterically hindered nitroxyl radicals with benzylic and allylic substrates was investigated. An allyloxyamine derivative was obtained by the reaction of 2 molar equiv of a nitroxyl radical with an unactivated alkene. Experimental and computational evidence is consistent with a low-energy pathway involving addition of the nitroxyl radical to the double bond followed by H-atom abstraction from the intermediate by another equivalent of nitroxyl radical.     

Metal Complex-Catalyzed Epoxidation of Olefins by Dioxygen with Co-Oxidation of Aldehydes. A Mechanistic Study

Mechanistic studies of the oxidation of olefins by dioxygen plus aldehyde in the presence of metal complexes such as metalloporphyrins and metal cyclam complexes have been carried out. Epoxides were the predominant products, with trace amounts of allylic oxidation products. cis-Stilbene was oxidized to a mixture of cis- and trans-stilbene oxides. It is concluded from this study that the principal role of the metal complexes is to aid in the initiation step for the free radical autoxidation of the aldehyde and that acylperoxy radicals generated in the autoxidation reaction (or metal complexes formed by complexation of the acylperoxy radicals) are the active epoxidizing agents.     

Methyl‐Selective α‐Oxygenation of Tertiary Amines to Formamides by Employing Copper/Moderately Hindered Nitroxyl Radical (DMN‐AZADO or 1‐Me‐AZADO)

Methyl‐selective α‐oxygenation of tertiary amines is a highly attractive approach for synthesizing formamides while preserving the amine substrate skeletons. Therefore, the development of efficient catalysts that can advance regioselective α‐oxygenation at the N‐methyl positions using molecular oxygen (O₂) as the terminal oxidant is an important subject. In this study, we successfully developed a highly regioselective and efficient aerobic methyl‐selective α‐oxygenation of tertiary amines by employing a Cu/nitroxyl radical catalyst system. The use of moderately hindered nitroxyl radicals, such as 1,5‐dimethyl‐9‐azanoradamantane N‐oxyl (DMN‐AZADO) and 1‐methyl‐2‐azaadamanane N‐oxyl (1‐Me‐AZADO), was very important to promote the oxygenation effectively mainly because these N‐oxyls have longer life‐times than less hindered N‐oxyls. Various types of tertiary N‐methylamines were selectively converted to the corresponding formamides. A plausible reaction mechanism is also discussed on the basis of experimental evidence, together with DFT calculations. The high regioselectivity of this catalyst system stems from steric restriction of the amine‐N‐oxyl interactions.     

Nitroxyl radicals and nitroxylethers beyond stabilization: radical generators for efficient polymer modification

Beyond traditional polymer stabilization, sterically hindered piperidine derivatives move into new application areas where radical functions are key elements. Recent achievements in using nitroxyl derivatives in degradation, polymerization and grafting processes are discussed together with the involved chemical reactions and the resulting material properties. The examples shown cover selected nitroxylethers (NORs) performing as flame retardants and flame retardant synergists or replacing peroxides in manufacturing controlled rheology polypropylene (PP). Furthermore, NORs and nitroxyl radicals mediate radical polymerization processes resulting in tailor-made intermediates for polymer modification via radical and condensation steps and offer access to complex polymer architecture. To cite this article: R. Pfaendner, C.R. Chimie 9 (2006).