Abstract: The thermal decomposition of neophyl (tri-n-butylphosphine) copper (I)(3) in ether solation at tempera-tures between 30 and 125" takes place in large part by a free-radical mechanism. The initial homolytic scission of the carbon-copper u bond is follcwed by competing 1, 2-phenyl migration, coupling, and hydrogen abstraction reactions involving the resulting neophyl radicals. The products obtained from thermal decomposition of mixtures ...
