Question

Practice the Skill 10.03 5-Methylcyclopentadiene undergoes homolytic bond cleavage of a C—H bond to form a radical that exhibits five resonance structures. Determine which hydrogen is abstracted and draw all five resonance structures of the resulting radical.

Answer 1

Homolytic cleavage occurs at Carbon next to methyl

Step-by-step explanation:

Homolytic cleavage is the type of bond cleavage in which the molecule and atom or in between two atoms, the electron distribute themselvels equally in terms of electron distribution, becoming radical by having an unpaired electron.

In this particular molecule, the cleavage occurs at position 5 carbon where a methyl group is present. In organic chemistry, methyl serves as a electron donating group therefore, reinforcing the neighboring carbon to attack any nucleophile or sometimes when there is a resonating structure such as cyclopentadiene or benzene is present.

Please see the image attached for further understanding.