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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 Reactivity: Electrophilic Radicals01:02

Radical Reactivity: Electrophilic Radicals

Radicals adjacent to electron‐withdrawing groups are called electrophilic radicals. These radicals readily react with nucleophilic alkenes. For example, the malonate radical, in which the radical center is flanked by two electron‐withdrawing groups, reacts readily with butyl vinyl ether, which consists of an electron‐donating oxygen substituent. The reaction between electrophilic malonate radical and nucleophilic vinyl ether is favored because the radical has a low‐energy SOMO, which interacts...
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...
Electron Affinity03:07

Electron Affinity

The electron affinity (EA) is the energy change for adding an electron to a gaseous atom to form an anion (negative ion).
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.

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Updated: May 16, 2026

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F&#8722;
06:53

Photoelectron Imaging of Anions Illustrated by 310 Nm Detachment of F−

Published on: July 27, 2018

Electron attachment to fluorocarbon radicals.

Nicholas S Shuman1, Thomas M Miller, A A Viggiano

  • 1Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico 87117, USA.

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|December 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Electron attachment to fluorocarbon radicals was studied. Attachment was inefficient for most radicals, producing fluoride ions (F(-)) and varying with temperature.

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Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Plasma Science
  • Atmospheric Chemistry

Background:

  • Fluorocarbon radicals are important in various chemical processes.
  • Understanding electron attachment is crucial for plasma chemistry and atmospheric modeling.
  • Previous data on electron attachment to small fluorocarbon radicals is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure thermal electron attachment rate constants for small fluorocarbon radicals.
  • To investigate the temperature dependence of electron attachment.
  • To provide data for kinetic modeling of electron attachment processes.

Main Methods:

  • Variable electron and neutral density attachment mass spectrometry.
  • Measurements conducted over a temperature range of 300–600 K.
  • Kinetic modeling to interpret and extrapolate experimental data.

Main Results:

  • Electron attachment was observed for C(2)F(3), 1-C(3)F(7), 2-C(3)F(7), C(3)F(5), and CF(3)O, yielding F(-).
  • No attachment was observed for CF(2).
  • Attachment rate constants were significantly different among species and showed varying temperature dependencies, always below 2% of the collisional limit.

Conclusions:

  • Electron attachment to these fluorocarbon radicals is generally inefficient.
  • The findings contribute to a better understanding of electron-radical interactions in plasmas.
  • The data and modeling approach can be used for further atmospheric and plasma simulations.