New gas phase reactions of substituted benzyl, phenylaminyl, and phenoxyl radicals. Rearrangements to fused 5- and 6-membered heterocyclic systems

Abstract

Flash vacuum pyrolysis studies of substituted benzyl, phenylaminyl, and phenoxyl radicals have revealed three new classes of reactions: formation of five-membered ring products via intramolecular abstraction of an aromatic hydrogen atom, formation of six-membered rings via spirodienyl radical intermediates, and isomerisation of o-phenoxybenzyl into o-benzylphenoxyl radicals and vice versa.