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In chemistry, a radical, also known as a free radical, is an atom, molecule, or ion that has at least one unpaired valence electron. [1] [2] With some exceptions, these unpaired electrons make radicals highly chemically reactive. Many radicals spontaneously dimerize. Most organic radicals have short lifetimes.
Hydroxyl radicals are highly reactive and consequently short-lived; however, they form an important part of radical chemistry. Most notably hydroxyl radicals are produced from the decomposition of hydroperoxides (ROOH) or, in atmospheric chemistry, by the reaction of excited atomic oxygen with water.
Radiolysis of intracellular water by ionizing radiation creates peroxides, which are relatively stable precursors to hydroxyl radicals. 60%–70% of cellular DNA damage is caused by hydroxyl radicals, [3] yet hydroxyl radicals are so reactive that they can only diffuse one or two molecular diameters before reacting with cellular components.
Chain propagation: A radical reacts with a non-radical to produce a new radical species; Chain termination: Two radicals react with each other to create a non-radical species; In a free-radical addition, there are two chain propagation steps. In one, the adding radical attaches to a multiply-bonded precursor to give a radical with lesser bond ...
In fact, the rate of reaction of alkali metals (as evidenced by their reaction with water for example) is a function not only of position within the group but also of particle size. Hydrogen does not react with oxygen—even though the equilibrium constant is very large—unless a flame initiates the radical reaction, which leads to an explosion.
Due to the reactive nature of radical molecules, disproportionation proceeds rapidly and requires little to no activation energy. [1] The most thoroughly studied radical disproportionation reactions have been conducted with alkyl radicals, but there are many organic molecules that can exhibit more complex, multi-step disproportionation reactions.
In organic chemistry they typically only occur briefly during a reaction on an entity called a radical; however, they play an important role in explaining reaction pathways. Radicals are uncommon in s- and p-block chemistry, since the unpaired electron occupies a valence p orbital or an sp, sp 2 or sp 3 hybrid orbital.
A free-radical reaction is any chemical reaction involving free radicals. This reaction type is abundant in organic reactions . Two pioneering studies into free radical reactions have been the discovery of the triphenylmethyl radical by Moses Gomberg (1900) and the lead-mirror experiment [ 1 ] described by Friedrich Paneth in 1927.