Charge transfer to a semi-esterified bifunctional phenol

The charge transfer from solvent radical cations of n-butyl chloride and cyclohexane to 2-butyl-6(3'-t-butyl-2'-hydroxy-5'-methylbenzyl)-4-methyl-phenylacrylate (GM) yields in the first step phenoxyl radicals as well as acrylate radical cations of this semi-acrylated bifunctional phenol. Subsequently an intramolecular charge transfer from the acrylate radical cation to the phenol group takes place. Because of the instability of phenol radical cations, under our experimental conditions (nanosecond pulse radiolysis, non-polar solvents, room temperature) phenoxyl radicals are the only observable products of phenol ionization.