Alkyl halides, preparation

The possibility that R-0 fission may occur in advance of attack by halide ion has been demonstrated in the reactions of dineopentyl phenyl phosphite or neopentyl diphenyl phosphite with alkyl halides. In these cases the Michaelis-Arbuzov intermediates cannot be isolated but the neopentyl halides which are formed are contaminated with varying amounts of rearrangement product (t-pentyl halide) (Table IV). These results may explain the formation of mixtures of isomeric halides (9,10,11) in certain applications of Rydon s method for alkyl halide preparation (12). S i fission of the R-0 bond appears to be encouraged by the electron-attracting effect of phenoxy-substituents (Figure 3). 

Copper-mediated cross-coupling between an dialkylzinc and an alkyl halide preparation of 10-nitro-9-phenyldecyl acetate12... 

Halogens on alkyl side chains generally resemble halogens in alkyl halides. As with alkyl halides, preparation is typically carried out by (1) substitution of side-chain hydroxyl groups or (2) addition of HX or X2 to side-chain olefins. Free-radical reaction with halogen molecules, X2, yields a mixture of products and works best for chlorination or bromination. 

The preparation of pure primary amines by the interaction of alkyl halides and ammonia is very difficult, because the primary amine which is formed reacts with unchanged alkyl halide to give the secondary amine the latter... 

This direct sulphonation should be compared with the indirect methods for the preparation of aliphatic sulphonic acids, e.g., oxidation of a thiol (RSH -> RSOjH), and interaction of an alkyl halide with sodium sulphite to give the sodium sulphonate (RBr + Na,SO, -> RSO,Na + NaBr). 

The preparation of acetophenone (p. 255) is a modification of this method, the alkyl halide being replaced by an acid chloride, with the consequent formation of a ketone. 

Anilides and a-Naphthalides. The Grignard reagents prepared from alkyl halides react with phenyl isocyanate (CgHjN=C=0) or with a-uaphthy l isocyanate (C,oH, N=C=0) to yield addition products that are converted by hydrolysis into anihdes and a-naphthalides respectively RX + Mg —> RMgX... 

Alkyl mercuric halides. Grignard reagents, prepared from alkyl halides, react with a mercuric halide that contains the same halogen as the reagent to form alkyl mercuric halides ... 

Strictly speaking the alkyl halides are esters of the halogen acids, but since they enter into many reactions (t.g., formation of Grignard reagents, reaction with potassium cyanide to yield nitriles, etc.) which cannot be brought about by the other eaters, the alkyl halides are usually distinguished from the esters of the other inorganic acids. The preparation of a number of these is described below. 

Aliphatic nitro compounds. These are isomeric with the alkyl nitrites and may be prepared from the alkyl halide and silver nitrite, for example C,H,aBr + AgNOj — C Hj NO + AgBr... 

Mixed ethers may be prepared by the interaction of an. alkyl halide and a sodium alkoxide (Williamson s synthesis), for example ... 

The sodio derivative, which is prepared by mixing alcoholic solutions of the ester and of sodium ethoxide, condenses with alkyl halides to yield mono-alkyl C-substituted products, for example ... 

Where R and R are identical, the dialkylmalonic ester may be prepared in one operation by treating 1 mol of ethyl malonate with 2 mots each of sodium ethoxide and the alkyl halide (usually bromide or iodide). 

Mercaptans (or thio-alcohols or thiols), the sulphur analogues of the alcohols, were formerly prepared by the interaction of an alkyl halide and sodium hydrosulphide in alcoholic solution ... 

The preparation of the sodium derivative of the phenol may be avoided by heating the enol and alkyl halide in the presence of potassium carbonate and acetone, for example ... 

In eontrast, dialkylhalonium salts sueh as dimethylbromonium and dimethyliodonium fluoroantimonate, whieh we prepared from excess alkyl halides with antimony pentafluoride or fluoroantimonie acid and isolated as stable salts (the less-stable chloronium salts were obtained only in solution), are very effective alkylating agents for heteroatom eompounds (Nu = R2O, R2S, R3N, R3P, ete.) and for C-alkylation (arenes, alkenes). 

Amines are powerful nucleophiles which react under neutral or slightly basic conditions with several electron-accepting carbon reagents. The reaction of alkyl halides with amines is useful for the preparation of tertiary amines or quaternary ammonium salts. The conversion of primary amines into secondary amines is usually not feasible since the secondary amine tends towards further alkylation. 

A special problem arises in the preparation of secondary amines. These compounds are highly nucleophilic, and alkylation of an amine with alkyl halides cannot be expected to stop at any specifle stage. Secondary amides, however, can be monoalkylated and lydrolyzed or be reduced to secondary amines (p. 11 If.). In the elegant synthesis of phenyl- phrine an intermediate -hydroxy isocyanate (from a hydrazide and nitrous acid) cyclizes to pve an oxazolidinone which is monomethylated. Treatment with strong acid cleaves the cyclic irethan. 

Organic compounds are grouped into families according to the functional groups they contain Two of the most important families are alcohols and alkyl halides Alco hols and alkyl halides are especially useful because they are versatile starting materials for preparing numerous other families Indeed alcohols or alkyl halides—often both— will appear m virtually all of the remaining chapters of this text... 

Preparation of Alkyl Halides from Alcohols and Hydrogen Halides... 

PREPARATION OF ALKYL HALIDES FROM ALCOHOLS AND HYDROGEN HALIDES... 

The procedures to be described m the remainder of this chapter use either an alkane or an alcohol as the starting material for preparing an alkyl halide By knowing how to prepare alkyl halides we can better appreciate the material m later chapters where alkyl halides figure prominently m key chemical transformations The preparation of alkyl halides also serves as a focal point to develop the principles of reaction mechanisms... 

We 11 begin with the preparation of alkyl halides from alcohols by reaction with hydro gen halides... 

Alkyl halides are such useful starting materials for preparing other functional group types that chemists have developed several different methods for converting alcohols to alkyl halides Two methods based on the inorganic reagents thionyl chloride and phosphorus tnbromide bear special mention... 

The rest of this chapter describes a completely different method for preparing alkyl halides one that uses alkanes as reactants It involves substitution of a halogen atom for one of the alkane s hydrogens... 

This difference in selectivity between chlorination and bromination of alkanes needs to be kept in mind when one wishes to prepare an alkyl halide from an alkane... 

Chemical reactivity and functional group transformations involving the preparation of alkyl halides from alcohols and from alkanes are the mam themes of this chapter Although the conversions of an alcohol or an alkane to an alkyl halide are both classi tied as substitutions they proceed by very different mechanisms... 

Dehydrogenation of alkanes is not a practical laboratory synthesis for the vast majority of alkenes The principal methods by which alkenes are prepared m the labo ratory are two other (3 eliminations the dehydration of alcohols and the dehydrohalo genation of alkyl halides A discussion of these two methods makes up the remainder of this chapter... 

Dehydrohalogenation is the loss of a hydrogen and a halogen from an alkyl halide It IS one of the most useful methods for preparing alkenes by p elimination... 

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