The cleavage of a bond ('
homolytic cleavage' or '
homolytic fission') so that each of the molecular fragments between which the bond is broken retains one of the bonding electrons. A
unimolecular reaction involving homolysis of a bond (not forming part of a cyclic structure) in a molecular entity containing an even number of (paired) electrons results in the formation of two radicals:
It is the reverse of
colligation. Homolysis is also commonly a feature of
bimolecular substitution reactions (and of other reactions) involving radicals and molecules.
Source:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077
(Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994))
on page 1122
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A.Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997). XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
doi:10.1351/goldbook.
