Treasures from the Free Radical Renaissance Period--miscellaneous hexenyl radical kinetic data.

Rate constant data and Arrhenius parameters have been determined for a series of substituted hexenyl radicals of differing electronic and steric demand. Electron-withdrawing groups (CF(3), CO(2)Et) directly attached to the radical centre slightly accelerate 5-exo ring-closure (k(cis) + k(trans) ∼ 2.1 × 10(5) s(-1) at 25°) relative to donating groups (OMe; 1.6 × 10(5) s(-1) at 25°). Sterically demanding groups (tert-Bu), as expected, slow the cyclization process (1 × 10(5) s(-1)). These observations are consistent with subtle changes in activation energy for 5-exo ring-closure. Interestingly, the nature of the solvent would appear to have a significant influence on this chemistry with the cis/trans stereoselectivity sometimes improved as the solvent polarity is increased. Except for the system containing the CF(3) (electron-withdrawing) group which displays an increase in the cyclization/capture rate constant (k(c)/k(H)), a general decrease in the k(c)/k(H) ratio as solvent polarity is increased is noted; these changes have been speculated to arise mainly from changes in k(H) in the various solvents employed.

A comparison of methods for measuring relative radical stabilities of carbon-centred radicals.

This article discusses and compares various methods for defining and measuring radical stability, including the familiar radical stabilization energy (RSE), along with some lesser-known alternatives based on corrected carbon-carbon bond energies, and more direct measures of the extent of radical delocalisation. As part of this work, a large set of R-H, R-CH(3), R-Cl and R-R BDEs (R = CH(2)X, CH(CH(3))X, C(CH(3))(2)X and X = H, BH(2), CH(3), NH(2), OH, F, SiH(3), PH(2), SH, Cl, Br, N(CH(3))(2), NHCH(3), NHCHO, NHCOCH(3), NO(2), OCF(3), OCH(2)CH(3), OCH(3), OCHO, OCOCH(3), Si(CH(3))(3), P(CH(3))(2), SC(CH(3))(2)CN, SCH(2)COOCH(3), SCH(2)COOCH(3), SCH(2)Ph, SCH(3), SO(2)CH(3), S(O)CH(3), Ph, C(6)H(4)-pCN, C(6)H(4)-pNO(2), C(6)H(4)-pOCH(3), C(6)H(4)-pOH, CF(2)CF(3), CF(2)H, CF(3), CCl(2)H, CCl(3), CH(2)Cl, CH(2)F, CH(2)OH, CH(2)Ph, cyclo-CH(CH(2))(2), CH(2)CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH(2), CH(2)CH(3), CH(CH(3))(2), C(CH(3))(3), C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CH, CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH(2), CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CHCH(3), CHO, CN, COCH(3), CON(CH(2)CH(3))(2), CONH(2), CONHCH(3), COOC(CH(3))(3), COOCH(2)CH(3), COOCH(3), COOH, COPh), and associated radical stability values are calculated using the high-level ab initio molecular orbital theory method G3(MP2)-RAD. These are used to compare the alternative radical stability schemes and illustrate principal structure-reactivity trends.

Factors affecting the rates of addition of free radicals to alkenes-determination of absolute rate coefficients using the persistent aminoxyl method.

The rate of coupling of alkyl radicals with the persistent aminoxyl radical 1,1,3,3-tetramethylisoindolin-N-oxyl (1) has been used as a kinetic probe to determine absolute rate coefficients for the addition of alkyl radicals to methyl acrylate. The results are discussed in terms of the role of the structure and functionalization of the attacking radical on the rates of addition, particularly as they affect steric, polar, and enthalpic factors. The aminoxyl method is assessed against other methods for determining free radical addition rate coefficients.

Formation of Macrocyclic Ethers by Free Radical Cyclization: Effects of Chain Length, Substituents, and Solvents.

Free radical reduction by tributylstannane of omega-iodopolyoxaalkyl acrylates derived from tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and heptaethylene glycols gives mixtures of uncyclized reduction products and macrocyclic ethers formed by endo cyclization. The rate constants for cyclization of the intermediate radicals at 80 degrees C in benzene were determined under carefully defined conditions to be 15 x 10(4), 13 x 10(4), 5.1 x 10(4), 10 x 10(4) and 3.6 x 10(4) s(-) (1), for formation of the 12-, 15-, 18-, 21- and 24-membered rings, respectively. These values indicate that the presence of oxygen atoms in the chains increases the rate by a factor of 10-30 by comparison with the previously reported cyclization of alkenyl species. The rate constants at 80 degrees C in benzene and the endo/exo ratio for reductive cyclizations of the methacrylate, crotonate, cinnamate, maleate, and fumarate esters of 8-iodo-3,6-dioxaoctanol have been determined. The reduction of the 8-iodo-3,6-dioxaoctyl acrylate in solvents of varying polarity indicated that the cyclization rate has a relatively low solvent dependence.