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Related Concept Videos

Radical Formation: Homolysis00:54

Radical Formation: Homolysis

A bond is formed between two atoms by sharing two electrons. When this bond is broken by supplying sufficient energy, either two electrons can be taken up by one atom forming ions by the cleavage called heterolysis, or the two electrons are shared by two atoms, with one each creating radicals by the cleavage called homolysis.
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: 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 Autoxidation01:20

Radical Autoxidation

The oxidation of an organic compound in the presence of air or oxygen is called autoxidation. For example, cumene reacts with oxygen to form hydroperoxide. Autoxidation involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. Many organic compounds are susceptible to autoxidation—especially ethers in the presence of oxygen, which form hydroperoxides. Even though this reaction is slow, old ether bottles contain small amounts of peroxide, which leads to laboratory explosions during ether...
Radical Anti-Markovnikov Addition to Alkenes: Mechanism01:17

Radical Anti-Markovnikov Addition to Alkenes: Mechanism

The reaction of hydrogen bromide with alkenes in the presence of hydroperoxides or peroxides proceeds via anti-Markovnikov addition. The radical chain reaction comprises initiation, propagation, and termination steps.
The mechanism starts with chain initiation, which involves two steps. In the first chain initiation step, a weak peroxide bond is homolytically cleaved upon mild heating to form two alkoxy radicals. In the second initiation step, a hydrogen atom is abstracted by the alkoxy radical...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Exploring the Radical Nature of a Carbon Surface by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and a Calibrated Gas Flow
10:34

Exploring the Radical Nature of a Carbon Surface by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and a Calibrated Gas Flow

Published on: April 24, 2014

C-H bond activation by oxygen-centered radicals over atomic clusters.

Xun-Lei Ding1, Xiao-Nan Wu, Yan-Xia Zhao

  • 1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.

Accounts of Chemical Research
|October 25, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Atomic clusters with oxygen-centered radicals activate C-H bonds in alkanes at room temperature. Spin and charge control radical reactivity, enabling catalyst design for alkane transformations.

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Synthesis of Antiviral Tetrahydrocarbazole Derivatives by Photochemical and Acid-catalyzed C-H Functionalization via Intermediate Peroxides (CHIPS)
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Synthesis of Antiviral Tetrahydrocarbazole Derivatives by Photochemical and Acid-catalyzed C-H Functionalization via Intermediate Peroxides (CHIPS)

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Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals
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Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals

Published on: April 19, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Exploring the Radical Nature of a Carbon Surface by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and a Calibrated Gas Flow
10:34

Exploring the Radical Nature of a Carbon Surface by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and a Calibrated Gas Flow

Published on: April 24, 2014

Synthesis of Antiviral Tetrahydrocarbazole Derivatives by Photochemical and Acid-catalyzed C-H Functionalization via Intermediate Peroxides (CHIPS)
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Synthesis of Antiviral Tetrahydrocarbazole Derivatives by Photochemical and Acid-catalyzed C-H Functionalization via Intermediate Peroxides (CHIPS)

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Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals
10:44

Isolating Free Carbenes, their Mixed Dimers and Organic Radicals

Published on: April 19, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Alkanes are abundant but challenging to functionalize at low temperatures.
  • High-temperature reactions often lack control and yield undesirable byproducts.
  • Low-temperature C-H bond activation is crucial for efficient alkane transformation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate atomic clusters with oxygen-centered radicals for low-temperature C-H bond activation.
  • Understand the influence of spin and charge on radical reactivity.
  • Provide insights for designing novel alkane transformation catalysts.

Main Methods:

  • Generation and study of atomic clusters containing oxygen-centered radicals (O(-•)).
  • Analysis of radical generation and reaction pathways with alkanes near room temperature.
  • Examination of the role of spin density distribution and charge states in C-H activation.

Main Results:

  • Atomic clusters with O(-•) radicals show promise for low-temperature C-H activation.
  • Spin distribution (localized vs. delocalized) significantly impacts O(-•) radical reactivity.
  • Charge state and local charge distribution around O(-•) centers modulate C-H activation efficiency.

Conclusions:

  • Spin and charge are critical, controllable parameters in atomic clusters for C-H activation.
  • Tailoring spin and charge properties can lead to rational catalyst design for alkane functionalization.
  • This research opens avenues for efficient, low-temperature alkane conversion.