Alkenes hydrogen bromide addition

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). 

The addition of S—H compounds to alkenes by a radical-chain mechanism is a quite general and efficient reaction. The mechanism is analogous to that for hydrogen bromide addition. The energetics of both the hydrogen abstraction and addition steps are favorable. Entries 16 and 17 in Scheme 12.5 are examples. 

The preferred stereochemistry of addition to cyclic alkenes is anti The additions are not as highly stereoselective as hydrogen bromide addition, however. 

FIGURE 10.9 A first-guess mechanism for the reaction of an alkene and bromine. For analogy, it draws on the mechanism of hydrogen bromide addition to an alkene. 

Hydrogen bromide addition to alkenes is only one example of a vast number of radical chain reactions. Another example involves carbon tetrahalides, such as CCI4 and CBr4, which add to alkenes in the presence of initiators. The steps in the peroxide-initiated reaction are shown in Figure 11.32. 

As with alkenes, hydrogen bromide can add to triple bonds by a radical mechanism in an anti-Markovnikov fashion if light or other radical initiators are present. Both syn and anti additions are observed. 

FREE-RADICAL ADDITION OF HYDROGEN BROMIDE TO ALKENES... 

Free Radical Addition of Hydrogen Bromide to Alkenes... 

The regioselectivity of addition of HBr to alkenes under normal (electrophilic addi tion) conditions is controlled by the tendency of a proton to add to the double bond so as to produce the more stable carbocatwn Under free radical conditions the regioselec tivity IS governed by addition of a bromine atom to give the more stable alkyl radical Free radical addition of hydrogen bromide to the double bond can also be initiated photochemically either with or without added peroxides... 

Among the hydrogen halides only hydrogen bromide reacts with alkenes by both electrophilic and free radical addition mechanisms Hydrogen iodide and hydrogen chlo ride always add to alkenes by electrophilic addition and follow Markovmkov s rule Hydrogen bromide normally reacts by electrophilic addition but if peroxides are pres ent or if the reaction is initiated photochemically the free radical mechanism is followed... 

Hydrogen bromide is unique among the hydrogen halides m that it can add to alkenes either by electrophilic or free radical addition Under photochemical conditions or m the presence of peroxides free radical addition is observed and HBr adds to the double bond with a regio selectivity opposite to that of Markovmkov s rule... 

Hydrogen bromide (but not hydrogen chloride or hydrogen iodide) adds to alkynes by a free radical mechanism when peroxides are present m the reaction mixture As m the free radical addition of hydrogen bromide to alkenes (Section 6 8) a regioselectiv ity opposite to Markovmkov s rule is observed... 

The bond highlighted m yellow is the peptide bond ) Pencyclic reaction (Section 10 12) A reaction that proceeds through a cyclic transition state Period (Section 1 1) A honzontal row of the penodic table Peroxide (Section 6 8) A compound of the type ROOR Peroxide effect (Section 6 8) Reversal of regioselectivity oh served m the addition of hydrogen bromide to alkenes brought about by the presence of peroxides m the reaction mixture... 

The order of reactivity of the hydrogen halides is HI > HBr > HCl, and reactions of simple alkenes with HCl are quite slow. The studies that have been applied to determining mechanistic details of hydrogen halide addition to alkenes have focused on the kinetics and stereochemistry of the reaction and on the effect of added nucleophiles. The kinetic studies often reveal complex rate expressions which demonstrate that more than one process contributes to the overall reaction rate. For addition of hydrogen bromide or Itydrogen... 

Among the cases in which this type of kinetics have been observed are the addition of hydrogen chloride to 2-methyl-1-butene, 2-methyl-2-butene, 1-mefliylcyclopentene, and cyclohexene. The addition of hydrogen bromide to cyclopentene also follows a third-order rate expression. The transition state associated with the third-order rate expression involves proton transfer to the alkene from one hydrogen halide molecule and capture of the halide ion from the second ... 

The anti-Markownikoff addition of hydrogen bromide to alkenes was one of the earliest free-radical reactions to be put on a firm mechanistic basis. In the presence of a suitable initiator, such as a peroxide, a radical-chain mechanism becomes competitive with the ionic mechanism for addition of hydrogen bromide ... 

Some examples of radical-chain additions of hydrogen bromide to alkenes are included in Scheme 12.5. 

The stereochemistry of radical addition of hydrogen bromide to alkenes has been studied with both acyclic and cyclic alkenes. Anti addition is favored.This is contrary to what would be expected if the s[p- carbon of the radical were rapidly rotating or inverting with respect to the remainder of the molecule ... 

Product mixtures from radical-chain addition of hydrogen chloride to alkenes are much more complicated than is the case for addition of hydrogen bromide. The problem is that the rate of abstraction of hydrogen from hydrogen chloride is not fast relative to the rate of addition of the alkyl radical to the alkene. This results in the formation of low-... 

Khaiasch proposed that hydrogen bromide can add to alkenes by two different mechanisms, both of which aie regiospecific. The first mechanism is electrophilic addition and follows Maikovnikov s rule. 

Peroxide effect (Section 6.8) Reversal of regioselectivity observed in the addition of hydrogen bromide to alkenes brought about by the presence of peroxides in the reaction mixture. 

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