Chloride, alkyl

Alkyl chlorides react slowly and the yield of the derivative is poor. Tertiary halides give anomalous results. 

Iodide ion Alkyl chloride Alkyl iodide Chloride or 

Tertiary alkyl chlorides have been converted to the tertiary nittiles with trimethylsilyl nittile ia dichioromethane ia the presence of SnCl (131). The reaction was appHed to the synthesis of several bridgehead nittiles, such as 1-adamantyl and 1-diamantyl nittiles from the corresponding chloro or bromo derivatives usiag SnCl or AIBr. catalysts (132). 

The similar yields of the two alkyl chloride products indicate that the rate of attack by chloride on the secondary carbocation and the rate of rearrangement must be very similar 

Iodide ion (I ) Alkyl chlorides and bromides are converted to alkyl iodides by treatment with sodium iodide in acetone Nal is soluble in acetone but NaCI and NaBr are insoluble and crystallize from the reaction mixture making the reac tion irreversible 

Cl NO2 chlorides nitro compounds chloro nitro alkyl chloride 

The direct reaction of other alkyl chlorides, such as butyl chloride, results in unacceptably low overall product yields along with the by-product butene resulting from dehydrochlorination. AH alkyl haHdes having a hydrogen atom in a P- position to the chlorine atom are subject to this complication. 

Tertiary alcohols are converted to alkyl chlorides m high yield within minutes on reaction with hydrogen chloride at room temperature and below 

Many organolithium compounds may be prepared by the interaction of lithium with an alkyl chloride or bromide or with an aryl bromide in dry ethereal solution In a nitrogen atmosphere  

In the absence of a tertiary amine, the initial reaction is again the formatfon of a trialkyl phosphite and hydrogen chloride. The latter now reacts rapidly with the trialkyl phosphite to give the alkyl chloride and the dialkyl hydrogen 

A substantial body of evidence indicates that allylic carbocations are more stable than simple alkyl cations For example the rate of solvolysis of a chlonde that is both tertiary and allylic is much faster than that of a typical tertiary alkyl chloride 

Thionyl chloride reacts with alcohols to give alkyl chlorides The inorganic byprod nets m the reaction sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride are both gases at room tern perature and are easily removed making it an easy matter to isolate the alkyl chloride 

Nucleophilic substitution in acyl chlorides is much faster than in alkyl chlorides 

The sp hybridized carbon of an acyl chloride is less sterically hindered than the sp hybridized carbon of an alkyl chloride making an acyl chloride more open toward nude ophilic attack Also unlike the 8 2 transition state or a carbocation intermediate m an Stvfl reaction the tetrahedral intermediate m nucleophilic acyl substitution has a stable arrangement of bonds and can be formed via a lower energy transition state 

Thionyl chloride is a synthetic reagent used to convert alcohols to alkyl chlorides 

Alkyl and aryl iodides usually react with magnesium more rapidly than the corresponding bromides, and the bromides very much more rapidly than the chlorides. Aryl (as distinct from alkyl) chlorides have usually only a slow reaction with magnesium and are therefore very rarely used. With alkyl and aryl iodides in particular, however, a side reaction often occurs with the formation of a hydrocarbon and magnesium iodide  

The resulting free radicals react with chlorine to give the corresponding alkyl chlorides Butyl radical gives only 1 chlorobutane sec butyl radical gives only 2 chlorobutane 

Reaction with thionyl chloride (Sec tion 4 13) Thionyl chloride converts alcohols to alkyl chlorides 

The resulting esters differ sufficiently in odour and water solubility to be readily distinguished from the original alcohol. With tertiary alcohols the product is largely the alkyl chloride  

The reactions of thionyl chloride with organic compounds having hydroxyl groups are important. Alkyl chlorides, alkyl sulfites, or alkyl chlorosulfites form from its reaction with aUphatic alcohols, depending on reaction conditions, stoichiometry, and the alcohol stmcture  

Secondary and pnmary alcohols do not react with HCl at rates fast enough to make the preparation of the conespondmg alkyl chlorides a method of practical value There fore the more reactive hydrogen halide HBr is used even then elevated temperatures are required to increase the rate of reaction 

Replacement ofiMliphaticHydrocgilwith Chloride. Lower alcohols such as methanol (qv) can be converted to the corresponding alkyl chlorides by carrying out the reaction 

The order of alkyl halide reactivity in nucleophilic substitutions is the same as their order m eliminations Iodine has the weakest bond to carbon and iodide is the best leaving group Alkyl iodides are several times more reactive than alkyl bromides and from 50 to 100 times more reactive than alkyl chlorides Fluorine has the strongest bond to car bon and fluonde is the poorest leaving group Alkyl fluorides are rarely used as sub states m nucleophilic substitution because they are several thousand times less reactive than alkyl chlorides 

By using a lOOX excess of the metal (less than lOO for experiments on a large scale) one can save much time. Some Grignard reactions, especially those with tertiary alkyl chlorides and cyclohexyl chloride, are not easily started and it seemed desirable, therefore, to inform the user of this book about our experiences. 

Mix together 1 0 g. of pure p-naphthol and the theoretical quantity of 50 per cent, potassium hydroxide solution, add 0-5 g. of the halide, followed by sufficient rectified spirit to produce a clear solution. For alkyl chlorides, the addition of a little potassium iodide is recommended. Heat the mixture under reflux for 15 minutes, and dissolve any potassium halide by the addition of a few drops of water. The p-naphthyl ether usually crystallises out on cooling if it does not, dilute the solution with 10 per cent, sodium hydroxide solution untU precipitation occurs. Dissolve the p-naphthyl ether in the minimum volume of hot alcohol and add the calculated quantity of picric acid dissolved in hot alcohol. The picrate separates out on cooling. Recrystallise it from rectified spirit. 

Place a mixture of 0-5 g. of finely powdered thiourea, 0-5 g. of the alkyl halide and 5 ml. of alcohol in a test-tube or small flask equipped with a reflux condenser. Reflux the mixture for a j)eriod depending upon the nature of the halide primary alkyl bromides and iodides, 10-20 minutes (according to the molecular weight) secondary alkyl bromides or iodides, 2-3 hours alkyl chlorides, 3-5 hours polymethy lene dibromides or di-iodides, 20-50 minutes. Then add 0 5 g. of picric acid, boil until a clear solution is obtained, and cool. If no precipitate is obtained, add a few drops of water. RecrystaUise the resulting S-alkyl-iso-thiuronium picrate from alcohol. 

---