Mechanisms of antioxidant action. phosphite esters

Abstract

Catechol phosphite esters are powerful stabilizers for polymers and appear to behave differently from simple alkyl or aryl phosphites in that they destroy hydroperoxides in a Lewis acid catalysed reaction. The effective catalyst is formed from the starting ester by reaction with hydroperoxides in a series of chemical reactions which during the initial stages involve the formation of free radicals. Some of the isolated reaction products do not show this behaviour and are themselves powerful thermal and u.v. stabilizer antioxidants. © 1973, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved.