Radical reaction
In chemistry, a radical (more precisely, a free radical) is an atom, molecule, or ion that has an unpaired valence electron. With some exceptions, these unpaired electrons make free radicals highly chemically reactive. Many free radicals spontaneously dimerize. Most organic radicals have short lifetimes.
A notable example of a free radical is the hydroxyl radical (HO•), a molecule that has one unpaired electron on the oxygen atom. Two other examples are triplet oxygen and triplet carbene (:CH
2) which have two unpaired electrons.
Free radicals may be generated in a number of ways, but typical methods involve redox reactions. Ionizing radiation, heat, electrical discharges, electrolysis, are known to produce radicals. Radicals are intermediates in many chemical reactions, more so than is apparent from the balanced equations.
Free radicals are important in combustion, atmospheric chemistry, polymerization, plasma chemistry, biochemistry, and many other chemical processes. A large fraction of natural products are generated by radical-generating enzymes. In living organisms, the free radicals superoxide and nitric oxide and their reaction products regulate many processes, such as control of vascular tone and thus blood pressure. They also play a key role in the intermediary metabolism of various biological compounds. Such radicals can even be messengers in a process dubbed redox signaling. A radical may be trapped within a solvent cage or be otherwise bound.
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