Halogen Addition Reactions

MarkownikofT s rule The rule states that in the addition of hydrogen halides to an ethyl-enic double bond, the halogen attaches itself to the carbon atom united to the smaller number of hydrogen atoms. The rule may generally be relied on to predict the major product of such an addition and may be easily understood by considering the relative stabilities of the alternative carbenium ions produced by protonation of the alkene in some cases some of the alternative compound is formed. The rule usually breaks down for hydrogen bromide addition reactions if traces of peroxides are present (anti-MarkownikofT addition). 

Many of the reactions of halogens can be considered as either oxidation or displacement reactions the redox potentials (Table 11.2) give a clear indication of their relative oxidising power in aqueous solution. Fluorine, chlorine and bromine have the ability to displace hydrogen from hydrocarbons, but in addition each halogen is able to displace other elements which are less electronegative than itself. Thus fluorine can displace all the other halogens from both ionic and covalent compounds, for example... 

Many of the features of the generally accepted mechanism for the addition of halogens to alkenes can be introduced by referring to the reaction of ethylene with bromine... 

The propylene double bond consists of a (7-bond formed by two ovedapping orbitals, and a 7t-bond formed above and below the plane by the side overlap of two p orbitals. The 7t-bond is responsible for many of the reactions that ate characteristic of alkenes. It serves as a source of electrons for electrophilic reactions such as addition reactions. Simple examples are the addition of hydrogen or a halogen, eg, chlorine ... 

Control of addition vs substitution by free radicals can be effected by the reaction conditions, ie, radical concentration, temperature, and phase. Using halogens as propylene reactants, high temperatures and the gas phase favor high radical concentrations and substitution reactions cold, Hquid-phase conditions favor addition reactions. 

Halogen-substituted succinimides are a class of products with important appHcations. /V-Bromosuccinimide [128-08-5] mp 176—177°C, is the most important product ia this group, and is prepared by addition of bromine to a cold aqueous solution of succinimide (110,111) or by reaction of succinimide with NaBr02 iu the presence of HBr (112). It is used as a bromination and oxidation agent ia the synthesis of cortisone and other hormones. By its use it is possible to obtain selective bromine substitution at methylene groups adjacent to double bonds without addition reactions to the double bond (113). 

Catalysis. Catalytic properties of the activated carbon surface are useful in both inorganic and organic synthesis. For example, the fumigant sulfuryl fluoride is made by reaction of sulfur dioxide with hydrogen fluoride and fluorine over activated carbon (114). Activated carbon also catalyzes the addition of halogens across a carbon—carbon double bond in the production of a variety of organic haUdes (85) and is used in the production of phosgene... 

The principal reactions with commercial significance include polymerization, oxidation, and addition including halogenation, alkylation, oligomerization, hydration, and hydroformylation. 

Addition. Addition reactions of ethylene have considerable importance and lead to the production of ethylene dichloride, ethylene dibromide, and ethyl chloride by halogenation—hydrohalogenation ethylbenzene, ethyltoluene, and aluminum alkyls by alkylation a-olefms by oligomerization ethanol by hydration and propionaldehyde by hydroformylation. 

Alkynes undergo addition reactions with halogens. The reaction has been thoroughly examined from a mechanistic point of view. In the presence of excess halogen, tetrahaloalkanes are formed, but mechanistic studies can be carried out with a limited... 

Additions of halogen fluorides to the more electrophilic perfluonnated olefins generally require different conditions Reactions of iodine fluoride, generated in situ from iodine and iodine pentafluoride [62 102 103, /05] or iodine, hydrogen fluoride, and parapeiiodic aud [104], with fluormated olefins (equations 8-10) are especially well studied because the perfluoroalkyl iodide products are useful precursors of surfactants and other fluorochemicals Somewhat higher temperatures are required compared with reactions with hydrocarbon olefins Additions of bromine fluoride, from bromine and bromine trifluonde, to perfluonnated olefins are also known [lOti]... 

More general procedures for additions of halogen fluorides to highly fluori-nated olefins involve reactions with a source of nucleophilic fluoride ion, such as an alkali metal fluoride, in the presence of aposttive halogen donor [62 107, lOff, 109, 110, 111] (equations 11 and 12) These processes are likely to occur by the generation and capture of perfluorocarbamonic intermediates Tertiary fluormated carbanions can be isolated as cesium [112], silver [113], or tns(dimethylamino)sul-... 

Generally, additions of halogens to fluoroalkenes are less stereoselective than the analogous reactions with nonfluorinated systems. The stereochemical mode of addition can be either anti or syn Partitioning between these paths is determined... 

Because of thetr electron deficient nature, fluoroolefms are often nucleophihcally attacked by alcohols and alkoxides Ethers are commonly produced by these addition and addition-elimination reactions The wide availability of alcohols and fliioroolefins has established the generality of the nucleophilic addition reactions The mechanism of the addition reaction is generally believed to proceed by attack at a vinylic carbon to produce an intermediate fluorocarbanion as the rate-determining slow step The intermediate carbanion may react with a proton source to yield the saturated addition product Alternatively, the intermediate carbanion may, by elimination of P-halogen, lead to an unsaturated ether, often an enol or vinylic ether These addition and addition-elimination reactions have been previously reviewed [1, 2] The intermediate carbanions resulting from nucleophilic attack on fluoroolefins have also been trapped in situ with carbon dioxide, carbonates, and esters of fluorinated acids [3, 4, 5] (equations 1 and 2)... 

The addition of halogenated aliphatics to carbon-carbon double bonds is the most useful type of carbon-carbon bond forming synthetic method for highly halogenated substrates Numerous synthetic procedures have been developed for these types of reactions, particularly for the addition of perfluoroalkyl iodides to alkenes using thermal or photolytic initiators of free radical reactions such as organic peroxides and azo compounds [/]... 

The heterocyclic telluride 32 is susceptible to oxidation-addition reactions and readily adds halogen atoms under a treatment with halogens or sulfuryl chloride (93MI1). Compounds 34 were obtained in almost quantitative yields. 

Other important applications for organoboranes" include the Michael-like addition reaction to a ,/3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, and the alkylation of a-halogenated carbonyl compounds. 

The introduction of halogen into organic molecules can be carried out by a variety of addition or substitution reactions. The classical methods for the addition of halogen to double bonds or the substitution of halogen for hydroxyl by hydrohalic acids are too well known to bear repetition here. Discussed below, then, are methods that are of interest because of their stereospecific outcome or because they may be used on sensitive substrates. 

HC1, HBr, and HI add to alkenes by a two-step electrophilic addition mechanism. Initial reaction of the nucleophilic double bond with H+ gives a carbo-cation intermediate, which then reacts with halide ion. Bromine and chlorine add to alkenes via three-membered-ring bromonium ion or chloronium ion intermediates to give addition products having anti stereochemistry. If water is present during the halogen addition reaction, a halohydrin is formed. 

R.C. Paule, Kinetics of Peroxide-Catalyzed Addition Reactions of Halogenated Compounds to Olefins , Florida Univ Contract No nr-1017 (00), ONR (1956) 6) L.P. Kuhn C. Well-... 

The most characteristic chemical reaction of an alkene is an addition reaction, in which atoms supplied by the reactant form o-bonds to the two atoms originally joined by the double bond (Fig. 18.9). In the process, the 7r-bond is lost. An example is halogenation, the addition of two halogen atoms at a double bond, as in the formation of 1,2-dichloroethane ... 

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