Comments on: 3 Factors That Stabilize Free Radicals https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/ Mon, 07 Jul 2025 01:22:32 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: James Ashenhurst https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-622023 Tue, 01 Mar 2022 20:47:56 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-622023 In reply to komal.

There are such things as “radical anions”, which bear both a radical and a charge. One example is the ketyl radical anion that is formed from the reduction of benzophenone by sodium metal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketyl

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By: komal https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-621919 Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:00:44 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-621919 Hi, I have a question: Are charged species with an unpaired electron also free radicals?

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By: Yuehui Zhou https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-604296 Tue, 10 Aug 2021 20:10:53 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-604296 Is there a free radical activity order for all kinds of radicals? For example,
……> Cl(.) > CH3(.) > Me3C(.) > …..

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By: Ayush S https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-599557 Mon, 05 Apr 2021 14:43:49 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-599557 I don’t understand how do people make remarks on molecular orbitals of heteroatomic species in org. chem. Can somebody explain ?

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By: Zenith101 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-594472 Tue, 12 Jan 2021 08:43:49 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-594472 Why is it that the order of stability of free radicals is allylic > benzylic > tertiary butyl, but is the exact opposite in case of carbocations?

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By: plpk https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-575232 Thu, 23 Jan 2020 06:32:39 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-575232 how can factors stabilising radicals and carbocations be same?radicals can be stabilised by both electron donating and withdrawing groups right?

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By: James Ashenhurst https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-556347 Fri, 14 Jun 2019 17:29:32 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-556347 In reply to hai.

It’s simplified. The interaction is between a lone pair on oxygen and a half-filled orbital on carbon. There are only 3 electrons in the system. The middle section depicts the lowering of the energy of the lone pair, and the raising of the energy of the antibonding orbital. Overall the system is more stable.

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By: James Ashenhurst https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-556342 Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:41:25 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-556342 In reply to Ankit kumar.

For our purposes, no.
In fact the cyclopropylmethyl radical is unusually stable, and although I don’t have the numbers at the moment the cyclobutylmethyl radical would also be more stable than an ordinary primary radical as well since it can interact with the “banana bonds” of the cyclobutane.

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By: James Ashenhurst https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-556341 Fri, 14 Jun 2019 16:38:05 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-556341 In reply to Benjamin Yeh.

Yes PSf certainly would form a radical more easily since it has a chromophore that can be accessed with UV light. You’d get loss of SO2 and formation of two adjacent radicals which could recombine or go on to other chain reactions, depending on conditions.

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By: OCz https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/2013/08/02/3-factors-that-stabilize-free-radicals/#comment-546953 Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:23:27 +0000 https://www.masterorganicchemistry.com/?p=7452#comment-546953 In reply to Ryan McNamee.

I wouldn’t call it hyperconjugation since hyperconjugation is (by definition) between sigma bond and and empty or half empty orbital. A quantum phyical chemist would call it just conjugation. Even though it’s very unorthodox.
[Modern Physical Organic Chemistry By Eric Anslyn]

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