Halonium compounds cyclic

A detailed spectroscopic examination should settle the question of whether the ion has the open or the cyclic structure. In general halo-chromic salts lose their color when a covalent bond is established to the central carbon atom, but the bromonium ion might resemble the carbonium ion. Compounds of similar color but which are certainly not cyclic halonium ions are also known ... 

In general, addition of more polar interhalogen compounds (ICI, IF, BrF, ClF) to fluoroolefins proceeds as an ionic process, starting with attack of halogen bearing positive charge on the C=C bond and formation of a cyclic halonium cation (Eq. 2) [10,18]. 

The synthesis of chlorine (I) and bromine (I) trifluoromethanesulfonates (triflates) was reported by DesMarteau. Stability and reactivity of these materials are similar to those of perfluoroalkyl hypohalites. Both compounds readily react at low temperature with a variety of fluoroolefins. Based on NMR analysis of the products of adding CF3S020X to pure cis- or trans-isomers of 1, 2-difluoroethylene, it was concluded that the reaction proceeds as syn-addition [35]. This statement was later criticized [18], since the assignment of stereoisomers was found to be incorrect. According to [18], addition of CF3S020X to haloolefins, as well as reactions of ClF, BrF and IF proceed as anti-addition via cyclic halonium cationic intermediates. 

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