Evidence for methyl radical intermediates in the radiolysis of alcohols. A spin trapping study

Spin trapping techniques have been successfully applied to the identification of the principal free-radical intermediates formed in the radiolysis of alcohols. Gamma radiolysis of concentrated solutions of t-BuNO in ethanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butyl alcohol gave peaks in all their ESR spectra due to t-BuN(O.)-CH/sub 3/. The relative intensities of these were such that the methyl radical yields were in the order tert-butyl alcohol > 2-propanol > ethanol, which parallels the methane yields in these solvents. (LK)