The conversation between human and AI assistant.
Why are free radicals generated in a tertiary carbon more stable?
Can you explain why free radicals generated in a tertiary carbon are more stable?
Sure, I'd be happy to help with that. Tertiary carbons are more stable because their radicals are highly delocalized. This is due to the presence of three alkyl groups around the carbon, which can donate electron density to stabilize the radical. In contrast, primary or secondary carbons have fewer alkyl groups and therefore less delocalization and stability.