ChemInform Abstract: Free Radical Halogenation of Alkanes Initiated by Transition Metal Complexes

Summary Reaction between halocarbons (particularly CCl4) and hydrocarbons (particularly c-C6H12) in the presence of a range of low valent metal complexes have been investigated. A detailed study of the reaction involving [Re2(CO)10] has shown it to proceed by a free radical chain route in which the metal complex acts solely as an initiator. Similar behaviour has been confirmed for [Cr(CO)6]. [Re2(CO)10] and [Cr(CO)6] show initiation efficiencies comparable with organic peroxides, but other complexes are less efficient. Factors effecting efficiencies have been studied.