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V. Chain Collapse

  • Page ID
    23945
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    Chain collapse occurs when an intermediate radical undergoes a chain-stopping reaction more rapidly than the propagation reaction in which this radical is participating.61 One cause of collapse is a chain-terminating step (e.g., radical dimerization) whose rate exceeds the rate of chain propagation. A second type of chain collapse occurs when an intermediate radical in a propagation sequence becomes part of a faster step in a propagation sequence leading to a different product. In such a situation chain collapse is caused by chain shift to the new reaction sequence.


    This page titled V. Chain Collapse is shared under a All Rights Reserved (used with permission) license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Roger W. Binkley and Edith R. Binkley.

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