The relative rates of hydrogen atom abstractio~l from ten substituted toluenes by t-butoxy radicals in carbon tetrachloride a t 40 OC have been measured and the data fitted to the Hammett equation. A much better correlation is obtained with the a+ constants than with the u constants of the substituents. In this respect, therefore, the reaction is similar to the majority of hydrogen atom abstraction reactions by radicals of moderate and high electron affinity. That is, the polar properties of the substituents are much more important than their stabilizing effect on the benzyl radical formed in the reaction.The cumyloxy radical has a similar reactivity to the t-butoxy radical. The p-nitrocumyloxy radical appears to be slightly more reactive and also slightly more susceptible to the polar elfects of substituents than are t-butoxy or cu~nyloxy radicals.The relative rates of hydrogen atom abstraction from compounds of the type XC6H4YH by free radicals can frequently be correlated by means of the Hamlnett p u relationship. Data for a \vide variety of such relations were sulnnlarized in a recent paper from this laboratory (1). I t was shown that with few exceptions, notably hydrogen abstraction by t-butoxy radicals fro111 substituted toluenes (2,3), a better correlation was usually obtained with (I+ constants rather than with u constant^.^ Further support for this generalization has been provided by Russell and Willianlson (5) who specifically pointed out that for the t-butoxy radical the proper substituents had not been exanlined to distinguish clearly betxveen a U-and a u+-correlation. With this point in mind we decided to reinvestigate this reaction with particular attention to those substituents having significantly different (I and 6 constants. While this \vork was in progress a similar study by Gilliom and Ward appeared (6). However, we feel that our results and conclusions differ sufficiently from theirs to warrant the present communication.
EXPERIMENTAL ReagentsToluene, 112-xylene, p-sylene, ethylbenzene, and cumene were Phillips Research Grade materials. m-Chlorotoluene, p-chlorotoluene, vz-nitrotoluene, p-nitrotoluene, and p-methoxytoluene were obtained from Eastman. These compou~lds were used a s supplied, their purity being checked by gas-liquid chromatography (g.1.c.). Toluene-0-ds was obtained fro111 Merck, Sharp & Dohme; it contained over 95% trideuterotoluene. We are grateful to the Benzol Products Company for a generous sample of p-methoxybenzyl chloride.p-Phenoxytoluene was prepared by the method of Russell and Williamson (5). p-Cyanotoluene was prepared by the dehydration of p-tolualdehyde oxime with acetic anhydride (cf. ref. 7). t-Butyl hypochlorite was prepared as described by Teeter and Bell (8). Cumyl hypochlorite and p-nitrocumyl hypochlorite were prepared from the corresponding alcohols by the method of Zavitsas and Seltzer (9). The p-nitrocu~nyl alcohol was prepared from cumene by nitration (10) followed by oxidation of the purified p-nitrocuinene by the method of Icwart and Francis (...