A novel probe for free radicals featuring epoxide cleavage

Abstract

This paper describes the identification of carbon–carbon bond cleavage within a defined range of epoxides as being a reaction type which is specifically diagnostic of free radicals adjacent to the epoxide. The speed of the epoxide cleavage is greater than that of hex-5-enyl radical cyclisation, and hence the reaction is kinetically competent to act as a new and discriminating type of probe for free radicals in solution.