Elimination Zaitsev’s rule

In 1875 Alexander M Zaitsev of the University of Kazan (Russia) set forth a gen erahzation describing the regioselectivity of p eliminations Zaitsev s rule summarizes the results of numerous experiments m which alkene mixtures were produced by p elim matron In its original form Zaitsev s rule stated that the alkene formed in greatest amount is the one that corresponds to removal of the hydrogen from the f3 carbon hav mg the fewest hydrogens... 

First-Order Elimination The E1 Reaction 258 Key Mechanism 6-8 The E1 Reaction 258 Mechanism 6-9 Rearrangement in an E1 Reaction 261 Summary Carbocation Reactions 262 6-18 Positional Orientation of Elimination Zaitsev s Rule 263 6-19 Second-Order Elimination The E2 Reaction 265 Key Mechanism 6-10 The E2 Reaction 266 6-20 Stereochemistry of the E2 Reaction 267... 

Zaitsev s rule as applied to the acid catalyzed dehydration of alcohols is now more often expressed in a different way elimination reactions of alcohols yield the most highly substituted alkene as the major product Because as was discussed in Section 5 6 the most highly substituted alkene is also normally the most stable one Zaitsev s rule is sometimes expressed as a preference for predominant formation of the most stable alkene that could arise by elimination... 

Alkenes are prepared by P elimination of alcohols and alkyl halides These reactions are summarized with examples m Table 5 2 In both cases p elimination proceeds m the direction that yields the more highly substituted double bond (Zaitsev s rule)... 

Zaitsev s rule (Section 5.10) When two or more alkenes are capable of being formed by an elimination reaction, the one with the more highly substituted double bond (the more stable alkene) is the major product. 

Elimination Reactions of Alkyl Halides Zaitsev s Rule 383... 

According to Zaitsev s rule, formulated in 1875 by the Russian chemist Alexander Zaitsev, base-induced elimination reactions generally (although not always) give the more stable alkene product—that is, the alkene with more alkyl substituents on the double-bond carbons. In the following two cases, for example, the more highly substituted alkene product predominates. 

The anti periplanar requirement for E2 reactions overrides Zaitsev s rule and can be met in cyclohexanes only if the hydrogen and the leaving group are trans diaxial (Figure 11.19). If either the leaving group or the hydrogen is equatorial, E2 elimination can t occur. 

The difference in reactivity between the isomeric menthyl chlorides is due to the difference in their conformations. Neomenthyl chloride has the conformation shown in Figure 11.20a, with the methyl ancl isopropyl groups equatorial and the chlorine axial—a perfect geometry for L2 elimination. Loss of the hydrogen atom at C4 occurs easily to yield the more substituted alkene product, 3-menthene, as predicted by Zaitsev s rule. 

A final piece of evidence involves the stereochemistry of elimination. (Jnlike the E2 reaction, where anti periplanar geometry is required, there is no geometric requirement on the El reaction because the halide and the hydrogen are lost in separate steps. We might therefore expect to obtain the more stable (Zaitsev s rule) product from El reaction, which is just what w e find. To return to a familiar example, menthyl chloride loses HC1 under El conditions in a polar solvent to give a mixture of alkenes in w hich the Zaitsev product, 3-menthene, predominates (Figure 11.22). 

Practically everything we ve said in previous chapters has been stated without any proof. We said in Section 6.8, for instance, that Markovnikov s rule is followed in alkene electrophilic addition reactions and that treatment of 1-butene with HC1 yields 2-chJorobutane rather than 1-chlorobutane. Similarly, we said in Section 11.7 that Zaitsev s rule is followed in elimination reactions and that treatment of 2-chlorobutane with NaOH yields 2-butene rather than 1-butene. But how do we know that these statements are correct The answer to these and many thousands of similar questions is that the structures of the reaction products have been determined experimentally. 

Here s an example how might we prove that E2 elimination of an alkyl halide gives the more highly substituted alkene (Zaitsev s rule, Section 11.7) Does reaction of 1-chloro-l-methylcyclohexane with strong base lead predominantly to 1-methyl cyclohexene or to methylenecyclohexane ... 

Zaitsev s rule (Section 11.7) A rule stating that E2 elimination reactions normally yield the more highly substituted alkene as major product. 

However, the E2C mechanism has been criticized, and it has been contended that all the experimental results can be explained by the normal E2 mechanism. McLennan suggested that the transition state is that shown as 18. An ion-pair mechanism has also been proposed. Although the actual mechanisms involved may be a matter of controversy, there is no doubt that a class of elimination reactions exists that is characterized by second-order attack by weak bases. " These reactions also have the following general characteristics (1) they are favored by good leaving groups (2) they are favored by polar aprotic solvents (3) the reactivity order is tertiary > secondary > primary, the opposite of the normal E2 order (p. 1319) (4) the elimination is always anti (syn elimination is not found), but in cyclohexyl systems, a diequatorial anti elimination is about as favorable as a diaxial anti elimination (unlike the normal E2 reaction, p. 1302) (5) they follow Zaitsev s rule (see below), where this does not conflict with the requirement for anti elimination. 

Tertiary halides undergo elimination most easily. Eliminations of chlorides, bromides, and iodides follow Zaitsev s rule, except for a few cases where steric effects are important (for an example, see p. 1316). Eliminations of fluorides follow Hofmann s rule (p. 1316). 

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