The reactivities of perfluoroisopropyl and tert-butyl radicals towards hydrogen atom abstraction from triethylsilane

Abstract

The rates of hydrogen abstraction from triethylsilane by the highly electrophilic perfluoroisopropyl and perfluoro-tert-butyl radicals have been obtained through competition experiments. These rates, 3.6 × 10⁶ and 2.4 × 10⁸M^–1 s^–1, respectively, are indicative of substantial reactivity enhancements, relative to perfluoro-n-alkyl radicals, derived from their enhanced electrophilicity and, in the latter case, from a much stronger forming C–H bond.