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Radical Reactivity: Steric Effects01:10

Radical Reactivity: Steric Effects

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The presence of electron-donating, electron-withdrawing, or conjugating groups adjacent to a radical center, imparts electronic stabilization to the radicals. Examples of such electronically-stabilized radicals are triphenylmethyl, tetramethylpiperidine‐N‐oxide, and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl. These radicals are remarkably stable and are known as persistent radicals. Some of the persistent radicals can even be isolated and purified.
Along with electronic...
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Radical Reactivity: Overview01:11

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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...
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Radical Reactivity: Nucleophilic Radicals01:16

Radical Reactivity: Nucleophilic Radicals

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Radicals adjacent to electron-donating groups are called nucleophilic radicals. These radicals readily react with electrophilic alkenes. The SOMO–LUMO interactions are the driving force for the reaction, where the high-energy SOMO of the electron-rich, nucleophilic radicals interacts with the low-energy LUMO of the electron-deficient, electrophilic alkenes. Such SOMO–LUMO interactions are the basis of reactive radical traps, affecting the selectivity in radical reactions. For...
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Radical Reactivity: Electrophilic Radicals01:02

Radical Reactivity: Electrophilic Radicals

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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...
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Radical Substitution: Allylic Chlorination01:31

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Typically, when alkenes react with halogens at low temperatures, an addition reaction occurs. However, upon increasing the temperature or under reaction conditions that form radicals, providing a low but steady concentration of halogen radicals, allylic substitution reaction is favored. This is because allylic hydrogens are very reactive as the formed intermediate is resonance stabilized. For example, when propene is treated with chlorine in the gas phase at 400 °C, it undergoes allylic...
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Radical Formation: Overview01:03

Radical Formation: Overview

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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:
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Area of Science:

  • Organic chemistry
  • Radical chemistry
  • Synthetic methodology

Background:

  • Alkynyl radicals are underutilized reactive intermediates.
  • Their generation and reactivity are not widely understood in synthetic chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of alkynyl radical chemistry.
  • To highlight their applications in organic synthesis and materials science.
  • To serve as a guide for synthetic chemists.

Main Methods:

  • Review of gas-phase generation and characterization of alkynyl radicals.
  • Discussion of photochemical and thermal activation methods.
  • Exploration of single electron transfer processes for radical generation.

Main Results:

  • Alkynyl radicals can be generated through various activation methods.
  • These radicals have significant implications for synthetic transformations.
  • Understanding mechanistic pathways is key to their reliable use.

Conclusions:

  • Alkynyl radicals offer promising avenues for novel synthetic strategies.
  • Further exploration of their reactivity will expand their utility.
  • This perspective aims to facilitate the broader adoption of alkynyl radical chemistry.