INVESTIGATIONS INTO FREE-RADICAL POLYMERIZATIONS OF ALLYL CARBONATES .2. AN MNDO STUDY OF HYDROGEN-ATOM ABSTRACTION BY HYDROXYL RADICAL

Semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations using the MNDO Hamiltoni an were performed for the reaction of hydroxyl radical with diethylene glycol bis (allyl carbonate) [CR39] (1), methyl allyl carbonate (4), ethyl allyl carbonate (5), diallyl carbonate (6), isobutyl allyl carbo nate (7), methoxy ethyl allyl carbonate (8) and ethoxy ethyl allyl car bonate (9). In contrast with what has generally been believed to be th e preferred site of hydrogen abstraction in (1), and in agreement with our experimental results, hydrogen abstraction from C8 is found to be preferred over abstraction at C3, the allylic position.