Acid-base properties of some simple organic free radicals

Free radicals were formed at ambient temperatures (22 +- 10C) by pulse radiolysis of dilute aqueous solutions of the parent compounds: glycolate, glycolamide, and lactamide. Kinetic spectrophotometry was used to observe the radicals. Rate constants for the reaction of the parent compounds with hydrated electrons were measured by the decay of the e-/sub aq/ absorption. Absorption spectra of the radicals were measured at different pH's, and from the changes with pH, the acid dissociation constants of the radicals were found. The fast formation of the radicals and the differences of the transient absorptions of the acid and base forms of the radicals allowed the deprotonation reactions to be observed. In each case the approach to equilibrium was pseudo-first order