The mechanism of the solid state oxidation of isotactic polypropylene films and the the mechanism of inhibition by HALS have been investigated by kinetic‐ESR and kinetic modelling with derivation of the rate constants for the sensitive steps in the reaction scheme. The results have shown the inadequacy of the Denisov cycle to account for the observed experimental kinetics of the intermediate nitroxyl radicals. The molecular dynamics associated with the oxidation inhibited by HALS in the polypropylene matrix has been investigated by applying the Liouville stochastic method to the analysis of the temperature effects of the ESR spectra of the intermediate nitroxyl radicals used as spin probes. The investigation on the nature and characteristics of the molecular motions available at the oxidation sites has also been carried out with nitroxyl spin labels bound to the PP chains. For this application a novel method of spin labelling was developed based on reactions with some of the oxidation products, namely the terminal and intrachain ketones (keana method), alcohols, peroxides and macroalkyl radicals.

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