Abstract

Chemists are now moving away from volatile, environmentally harmful, and biologically incompatible organic solvents. With its low cost, ready availability, and capacity to remove environmentally unfriendly by-products, water is an obvious replacement. Recent advances in free radical chemistry in water have expanded the versatility and flexibility of homolytic carbon-hydrogen, carbon-carbon, carbon-halogen, carbon-nitrogen bond formations in aqueous media. This textbook highlights the substantial progress which has been made in the last decade to "tame" the reactive free radical species in aqueous phase reactions. It describes carbon-hydrogen bond formations in aqueous media via radical reactions with a specific focus on HAT (Hydrogen Atom Transfer). Suitable for students of chemistry, industrial chemists and academic researchers, it combines extensive knowledge of free radical chemistry with the latest innovations and creative applications. Divided into five main areas, it covers the: generation of carbon centred free radicals; radical initiators; solubility of substrate; suitability of free radical hydrogen donors, and HAT reactions in aqueous media. The book describes radical reactions in organic and aqueous media and their applications in total synthesis, DNA structural probing, isotope labelling, living polymerization and various other applications. It shows that, armed with an elementary knowledge of kinetics and some common sense, it is possible to harness radicals into tremendously powerful tools for solving synthetic problems. Written with the needs of students in mind, it offers just the right level of detail for undergraduate study. All the basic principles and facts on each topic area are presented in a concise yet comprehensive style that is appropriate for both core and specialist courses. It provides a step-wise introduction, taking students from the basic principles of radical reactions through to their applications in industry and their role in biological and environmental processes. Case studies are used to illustrate reactions in landmark synthesis and problems, with outlined answers, test the reader's understanding. There are also suggestions for further reading.
V. Tamara Perchyonok is currently a Research Fellow at the School of Chemistry Centre for Green Chemistry at Monash University. Her research interests cover Analytical, Nano and Organic Chemistry with a specialization in free radical chemistry, green analytical chemistry, molecular recognition and polymer chemistry. She also lectures on heterocyclic chemistry and drug synthesis. Previous research appointments include: Marie Curie Senior Research Fellow at ISOF, CNR (Bologna, Italy); Senior Researcher (Chirogen PTY. Ltd., The University of Melbourne), and DFG Post Doctoral Fellow (LMU, Munich, Germany). Her research there covered both academic and commercial aspects of bio-compatible free radical chemistry via experimental and computational approaches. Her current research includes three broad areas of the development and commercialization of novel aspects of green analytical chemistry, synthesis and applications of novel nano-materials and bio-compatible free radical chemistry. The overall aim is to develop alternative and recyclable technology to facilitate the conversion of bio-actives from waste materials into value added and specialty chemicals, as well as the development of novel areas of green bio-compatible free radical chemistry.