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IV. Reaction Mechanism

  • Page ID
    24664
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    Although the radical mechanism shown in Scheme 1 offers a reasonable explanation for the reactions pictured in eq 2, there is uncertainty in some reactions involving redox couples about whether a free-radical is ever produced. This uncertainty is reflected in the reaction mechanism shown in Scheme 2, which describes two possible pathways for participation of a zinc–copper couple in an addition reaction. One pathway involves radical for­mation by electron transfer, and the second describes formation of an organ­o­zinc intermediate. The stereochemical evidence and solvent effects des­cribed in the next two sections offer insight into the nature of the reactive species generated by a typical redox couple.

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    This page titled IV. Reaction Mechanism 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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