Chemistry · Covalent bond fission: Homolytic and heterolytic, free radicals, carbocations and carbanions, stability of carbocations and free radicals, electrophiles and nucleophiles

Which of the following free radicals is the most stable?

Which of the following free radicals is the most stable?

  • A. primary
  • B. methy
  • C. secondary
  • D. tertiary

Step-by-step solution

Free radical stability increases with the degree of substitution due to hyperconjugation and inductive effects. The order of stability is: methyl < primary < secondary < tertiary. Therefore, tertiary free radical is the most stable.
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