Reactions allylic halogenation

NBS contains a weak N- Br bond that is homolytically cleaved with light to generate a bromine radical, initiating an allylic halogenation reaction. Propagation then consists of the usual two steps of radical halogenation as shown in Mechanism 15.3. 

A -Halogenated compounds such as iV-chlorotnfluoroacetamide, A -chloro-imidosulfuryl fluonde and N N dichlorotnfluoromethylamine add across C=C bonds to form saturated amides [14] tmidosulfury I fluorides [15] and amines [16], respectively Allylic halogenation also occurs with the use of A-bromo- or A-chIo roperfluoroamides The primary amine A,A-dichlorotrifluororaethylamine selectively affords 11 or 2 1 adducts with either tetrafluoroethylene or chlorotrifluoroethylene [16] (equation 7) The reaction mechanism is believed to involve thermal free radicals, with control achieved principally by reaction temperature The 1 1 adduct is formed even in the presence of a large excess of olefin... 

This allylic bromination with NBS is analogous to the alkane halogenation reaction discussed in the previous section and occurs by a radical chain reaction pathway. As in alkane halogenation, Br- radical abstracts an allylic hydrogen atom of the alkene, thereby forming an allylic radical plus HBr. This allylic radical then reacts with Br2 to yield the product and a Br- radical, which cycles back... 

The radical addition of halogen to an alkene has been referred to briefly in Section 9.3.2. We saw an example of bromination of the double bond in cyclohexene as an unwanted side-reaction in some allylic substitution reactions. The mechanism is quite straightforward, and follows a sequence we should now be able to predict. 

Allylic halogenation is a substitution reaction involving a free-radical mechanism. The general mechanism is in Figure 4-7. The final X cycles back to the beginning (shown with the Icirge curved arrow). 

With Fe, the products are o-, p-, and some m-BrCftH4CH,. In light the product is benzyl bromide, PhCHjBr. Like allylic halogenation (Section 6.5), the latter reaction is a free-radical substitution ... 

The relative stabilities of radicals follow the same trend as for carhoca-tions. Like carbocations, radicals are electron deficient, and are stabilized by hyperconjugation. Therefore, the most substituted radical is most stable. For example, a 3° alkyl radical is more stable than a 2° alkyl radical, which in turn is more stable than a 1° alkyl radical. Allyl and benzyl radicals are more stable than alkyl radicals, because their unpaired electrons are delocalized. Electron delocalization increases the stability of a molecule. The more stable a radical, the faster it can be formed. Therefore, a hydrogen atom, bonded to either an allylic carbon or a benzylic carbon, is substituted more selectively in the halogenation reaction. The percentage substitution at allylic and benzyhc carbons is greater in the case of bromination than in the case of chlorination, because a bromine radical is more selective. 

Such rearrangements are common during attempted allylic halogen exchange reactions, especially when the stable trifluoromethyl group results.6,7... 

Conceptually similar a,a -annulations of ketone enamines have also been carried out with electrophilic alkenes containing a reactive allylic halogen, such as ethyl a-bromo-methylacrylate or dimethyl y-bromomesaconate318-320 (Scheme 156). An elegant one-pot synthesis of the adamantane ring system involving sequential double Stork and Dieckmann reactions has been developed by Stetter and Thomas321 (Scheme 157). Reaction of the bis-enamine 154 with ethyl a-bromomethylacrylate leads to the pentacy-clic system 155322 (Scheme 158). 

Halogenation of saturated hydrocarbon polymers can hardly be controlled and is frequently assodated with chain degradation phenomena In contrast, the presence of randomly distributed olefinic unsaturations, allows selective halogenation reactions by adopting appropriate conditions. For instance, butyl rubber can be chiorinated or brominated in allylic positions and chloro-butyl or bromo-butyl rubber results The latter polymers are very interesting since they exhibit fast curing rates when sulfur and ZnO are introduced in the formulations. 

Allylic Systems. Allylic Halides. Allylic halides also undergo homolytic carbon-halogen cleavage by pentacyanocobaltate(II) to form equimolar quantities of halo- and allylcobalt complexes (21, 22, 23). It is assumed that this reaction involves generation of the allylic radical (Reaction 19), which then reacts with pentacyanocobaltate(II) (Reaction 20). 

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