What are radical-substitution reactions?
Radical-substitution reactions occur with the replacement of one substituent by another, but have free radical species (with an unpaired electron) as intermediates. Radical-substitution reactions are important in organic synthesis and are used to synthesize a wide range of compounds.
One common example of a radical-substitution reaction is the halogenation of alkanes. The halogenation of alkanes involves the replacement of a hydrogen atom in an alkane by a halogen atom. This reaction is typically carried out using a halogen (chlorine or bromine) and a strong light or heat source to initiate the reaction. The general equation for the halogenation of an alkane is:
R-H + X2 → R-X + H-X
Another example of a radical-substitution reaction is the hydroxylation of alkenes. The hydroxylation of alkenes involves the replacement of a carbon-carbon double bond by a hydroxyl group. This reaction is typically carried out using a peroxyacid as the oxidizing agent and a strong acid as a catalyst. The general equation for the hydroxylation of an alkene is:
R-CH=CH2 + HOOH → R-CH(OH)-CH3
The mechanism of radical-substitution reactions typically involves the initiation of the reaction by the formation of a radical intermediate, followed by the propagation of the reaction by the replacement of a substituent by another substituent and the termination of the reaction by the recombination of the radical intermediates..
It should be noted that radical-substitution reactions are often associated with low selectivity and high reactivity, which can lead to the formation of multiple products depending on the reaction conditions. Additionally, radical-substitution reactions can be sensitive to environmental factors such as light and temperature, which can affect the rate and outcome of the reaction..
In summary, radical-substitution reactions are a class of organic reactions that involve the replacement of a substituent by another substituent on a molecule through the involvement of a radical intermediate. These reactions are important in organic synthesis and are used to synthesize a wide range of compounds, but they can be sensitive to environmental factors and have a low selectivity..
In this section, the most significant named organic reactions are listed, classified according to the type of chemical reaction. Among the named organic reactions of the radical substitution type we can highlight the following:
Back to the Named Organic Reactions and Chemical Reagents page.
