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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.
Free radicals can be formed by photochemical reaction and thermal fission reaction or by oxidation reduction reaction. Specific reactions involving free radicals are combustion, pyrolysis and cracking. [5] Free radical reactions also occur within and outside of cells, are injurious, and have been implicated in a wide range of human diseases ...
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 ...
Radicals can undergo a disproportionation reaction through a radical elimination mechanism (See Fig. 1). Here a radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from another same radical to form two non-radical species: an alkane and an alkene. Radicals can also undergo an elimination reaction to generate a new radical as the leaving group.
In free radical polymerization, radicals formed from the decomposition of an initiator molecule are surrounded by a cage consisting of solvent and/or monomer molecules. [6] Within the cage, the free radicals undergo many collisions leading to their recombination or mutual deactivation. [5] [6] [9] This can be described by the following reaction:
Autoxidation is therefore a fairly broad term and can encompass examples of photooxygenation and catalytic oxidation. The common mechanism is a free radical chain reaction , where the addition of oxygen gives rise to hydroperoxides and their associated peroxy radicals (ROO•). [ 5 ]
Living free radical polymerization is a type of living polymerization where the active polymer chain end is a free radical. Several methods exist. Several methods exist. IUPAC recommends [ 1 ] to use the term " reversible-deactivation radical polymerization " instead of "living free radical polymerization", though the two terms are not synonymous.
Beta scission is an important reaction in the chemistry of thermal cracking of hydrocarbons and the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are formed upon splitting the carbon-carbon bond. Free radicals are extremely reactive and short-lived. When a free radical in a polymer chain undergoes a beta scission, the free radical breaks two ...