. 64, 2103 (1986). Dicumylhyponitrite (DCHN) was used as a thermal initiator of autoxidation of unsaturated phosphatidylcholines in o-dichlorobenzene and in mixed bilayers of dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC). Quantitative studies were made of the products, a,a-dimethylbenzyl alcohol (DMBA), acetophenone (AP), and dicumylperoxide (DCP) from DCHN. The ratio DMBAIA2DCHN (37 rt 6%) indicates the effectiveness of cumyloxy in hydrogen abstraction from the phospholipid in solution. The overall efficiency (e) of DCHN determined by the inhibitor method with a-tocopherol (a-T) was 84 * 596, close to the overall ratio (DMBA + AP)/A2DCHN (90 rt 6' 361, and indicates either significant initiation through the methylperoxy radical in o-dichlorobenzene solution or that a-tocopherol traps cumyloxy radical before @-scission occurs. The thermal decomposition rate constant of DCHN is greatly reduced in a medium of high viscosity; in DLPC to one-quarter, in Nujol to one-sixth that in isooctane and this is interpreted in terms of a one-bond scission of DCHN. In DLPC + DMPC mixed bilayers the effectiveness of the cumyloxy radical to initiate reaction varied from 30 to 19% depending on the amount of DLPC and in this medium there is little or no initiation by methylperoxy according to product analysis and a-T inhibition studies. In mixed bilayers, the rate of oxidation was directly related to the [DLPC] indicating that the classical rate law applies. The oxidizability of DLPC in mixed bilayers (0.046 M I J 2 s ' " ) is comparable to that of neat DLPC.LAWRENCE ROSS COATES BARCLAY, DAVID KONG et JOANN VANKESSEL. Can. J. Chem. 64. 2103 (1986).On a utilisC l'hyponitrite de dicumyle (HNDC) comme initiateur thermique pour l'autooxydation de phosphatidylcholines non-saturts dans le o-dichlorobenzene et dans des doubles couches mixtes de dilinolCylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) et de dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC). On a rCalisC des etudes quantitatives des produits : l'alcool a , a-dimCthylbenzylique [Traduit par la revue]