Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 7, 2026

On-line Analysis of Nitrogen Containing Compounds in Complex Hydrocarbon Matrixes
07:49

On-line Analysis of Nitrogen Containing Compounds in Complex Hydrocarbon Matrixes

Published on: August 5, 2016

Radical production in the radiolysis of liquid pyridine

Jay A LaVerne1, I Carmichael, M S Araos

  • 1Radiation Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. A
|July 13, 2006
PubMed

More Related Videos

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Functionalized Vinyl Monomers Using Perylene as a Visible Light Photocatalyst06:49

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Functionalized Vinyl Monomers Using Perylene as a Visible Light Photocatalyst

Published on: April 22, 2016

Free Radicals in Chemical Biology: from Chemical Behavior to Biomarker Development14:22

Free Radicals in Chemical Biology: from Chemical Behavior to Biomarker Development

Published on: April 15, 2013

Related Concept Videos

Radical Formation: Overview01:03

Radical Formation: Overview

A bond can be broken either by heterolytic bond cleavage to form ions or homolytic bond cleavage to yield radicals. A fishhook arrow is used to represent the motion of a single electron in homolytic bond cleavage. There are two main sources from which radicals can be formed:
Radicals from spin-paired molecules:
Radicals can be obtained from spin-paired molecules either by homolysis or electron transfer. While two radicals are formed in the former, an electron is added in the latter, also known...
Radical Reactivity: Overview01:11

Radical Reactivity: Overview

Radicals, the highly reactive species, gain stability by undergoing three different reactions. The first reaction involves a radical-radical coupling, in which a radical combines with another radical, forming a spin‐paired molecule. The second reaction is between a radical and a spin‐paired molecule, generating a new radical and a new spin‐paired molecule. The third reaction is radical decomposition in a unimolecular reaction, forming a new radical and a spin‐paired molecule. These three...
Radical Formation: Addition00:47

Radical Formation: Addition

Radicals can be formed by adding a radical to a spin-paired molecule. This is typically observed with unsaturated species, where the addition of a radical across the π bond leads to the production of a new radical by dissolving the π bond. For example, the addition of a Br radical to an alkene yields a carbon-centered radical.
Similar to charge conservation in chemical reactions, spin conservation is implicit for radical reactions. Accordingly, the product formed must possess an unpaired...
Radical Formation: Elimination00:51

Radical Formation: Elimination

Another method of radical formation is the elimination process. It is the opposite of the addition route and is driven by the instability of the radical. For example, as depicted in Figure 1, dibenzoyl peroxide yields a pair of unstable radicals upon homolysis. Given its instability, this radical spontaneously undergoes elimination via a C–C bond cleavage to form a relatively more stable phenyl radical. The mechanism involves cleavage of the bond between the α and β positions with respect to...
Radical Formation: Abstraction00:47

Radical Formation: Abstraction

The electron of an atom can be abstracted from a compound by a relatively unstable radical to generate a new radical of relatively greater stability. For example, an initiator which forms radicals by homolysis can abstract a suitable species like a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom from a compound to generate a new radical. This ability of radicals to propagate by abstraction is a crucial feature of radical chain reactions.
Even though homolysis produces radicals, it is different from radical...
Radical Reactivity: Intramolecular vs Intermolecular01:33

Radical Reactivity: Intramolecular vs Intermolecular

Radical reactions can occur either intermolecularly or intramolecularly. In an intermolecular radical reaction, a nucleophilic radical adds to an electrophilic alkene or vice versa. In such reactions, the radical and generally the alkene, which is also called the radical trap, are two different molecules. Additionally, for such intermolecular reactions to occur, the radical trap must be active, present in an excess concentration, and the radical starting material must have a weak carbon–halogen...