122 Radicals
122.1 Radical stability
Radicals listed from less to more stableF◦< Cl◦< Br◦< I◦F◦is totally unstable while
I◦is generally unreactive.Alkyl groups vary in stability. CH 3 ◦is quite reactive as it violates the octet rule. However,
CH 3 +is also a charged moiety and is therefore even less stable and harder to form.
Alkyl groups listed from less to more stableCH 3 ◦< 1◦< 2◦< 3◦Clearly, the tertiary carbocation is
the most stable, as it is surrounded by three other carbon atoms that share the burden of its posi-
tive charge.(Multiple images follow)