The decomposition of bis(pentafluorobenzoyl) peroxide in dilute solution

Abstract

The decomposition of bis(pentafluorobenzoyl) peroxide in benzene at 60° has been studied by radiotracer methods. By using low concentrations of the peroxide, the induced decomposition previously observed has been eliminated. The mechanism of the decomposition is found to be fundamentally similar to that for benzoyl peroxide under the same conditions. The rate constant for the decomposition (7 · 4 × 10 −6 sec −1) is considerably larger than that for benzoyl peroxide, although the energy of activation for the dissociation (about 120 kJ mole −1) is of similar magnitude.