Reactivity of tert-butoxy radicals towards thiols,alkyl sulfides,and alkyl disulfides

Rate constants for the reactions of tert-butoxy radicals (generated by the thermal decomposition of di-tert-butylperoxyoxalate) with several sulfur containing compounds have been measured at 310 K in benzene. Hexanethiol (k = 6.5 × 10⁷M^?1s^?1) reacts considerably faster than alkyl sulfides and disulfides. For these compounds the reaction rate constants are slightly dependent on the α-hydrogen type, changing (when it is expressed per hydrogen atom) only a factor 5 for sulfides and 3 for disulfides when the α-hydrogen is changed from primary (methyl) to tertiary (isopropyl). The data obtained are compared to those found for the deactivation of the benzophenone triplet. Values of k_tert-butoxy/k_benzophenone range from ca 10^?3 (di-tert-butyl disulfide) to 7.5 (hexanethiol). The results obtained are rationalized in terms of bond strength, steric hindrance, and charge transfer contributions to the critical configuration energies.