Hydrogen bromide, addition mechanism

The rate of addition depends on the concentration of both the butylene and the reagent HZ. The addition requires an acidic reagent and the orientation of the addition is regioselective (Markovnikov). The relative reactivities of the isomers are related to the relative stabiUty of the intermediate carbocation and are isobutylene 1 — butene > 2 — butenes. Addition to the 1-butene is less hindered than to the 2-butenes. For hydrogen bromide addition, the preferred orientation of the addition can be altered from Markovnikov to anti-Markovnikov by the presence of peroxides involving a free-radical mechanism. 

The addition of S—H compounds to alkenes by a radical-chain mechanism is a quite general and efficient reaction. The mechanism is analogous to that for hydrogen bromide addition. The energetics of both the hydrogen abstraction and addition steps are favorable. Entries 16 and 17 in Scheme 12.5 are examples. 

The reactions of halogens and hydrogen halides with alkenes are electrophilic addition reactions. This means that the initial attack on the organic molecule is by an electron-deficient species that accepts a lone pair of electrons to form a covalent bond. This species is called an electrophile. In the case of the reaction with hydrogen bromide, the mechanism for the reaction is as shown. 

Besides the ionic mechanism for hydrogen bromide addition, there is an efficient free-radical mechanism. As emphasized in Part A, Section 12.4, this mechanism results in regioselectivity which is opposite to that of the ionic mechanism. 

FIGURE 10.9 A first-guess mechanism for the reaction of an alkene and bromine. For analogy, it draws on the mechanism of hydrogen bromide addition to an alkene. 

Among the hydrogen halides only hydrogen bromide reacts with alkenes by both electrophilic and free radical addition mechanisms Hydrogen iodide and hydrogen chlo ride always add to alkenes by electrophilic addition and follow Markovmkov s rule Hydrogen bromide normally reacts by electrophilic addition but if peroxides are pres ent or if the reaction is initiated photochemically the free radical mechanism is followed... 

Hydrogen bromide (but not hydrogen chloride or hydrogen iodide) adds to alkynes by a free radical mechanism when peroxides are present m the reaction mixture As m the free radical addition of hydrogen bromide to alkenes (Section 6 8) a regioselectiv ity opposite to Markovmkov s rule is observed... 

Hydrogen haHde addition to vinyl chloride in general yields the 1,1-adduct (50—52). The reactions of HCl and hydrogen iodide [10034-85-2], HI, with vinyl chloride proceed by an ionic mechanism, while the addition of hydrogen bromide [10035-10-6], HBr, involves a chain reaction in which a bromine atom [10097-32-2] is the chain carrier (52). In the absence of a transition-metal catalyst or antioxidants, HBr forms the 1,2-adduct with vinyl chloride (52). HF reacts with vinyl chloride in the presence of stannic chloride [7646-78-8], SnCl, to form 1,1-difluoroethane [75-37-6] (53). 

A considerable amount of hydrobromic acid is consumed in the manufacture of inorganic bromides, as well as in the synthesis of alkyl bromides from alcohols. The acid can also be used to hydrobrominate olefins (qv). The addition can take place by an ionic mechanism, usually in a polar solvent, according to Markownikoff s rule to yield a secondary alkyl bromide. Under the influence of a free-radical catalyst, in aprotic, nonpolar solvents, dry hydrogen bromide reacts with an a-olefin to produce a primary alkyl bromide as the predominant product. Primary alkyl bromides are useful in synthesizing other compounds and are 40—60 times as reactive as the corresponding chlorides (6). 

Hydrogen hahdes normally add to form 1,2-dihaLides, though an abnormal addition of hydrogen bromide is known, leading to 3-bromo-l-chloropropane [109-70-6], the reaction is beUeved to proceed by a free-radical mechanism. Water can be added by treatment with sulfuric acid at ambient or lower temperatures, followed by dilution with water. The product is l-chloro-2-propanol [127-00-4]. 

In a 2-1. three-necked, round-bottomed flask fitted with a liquid-sealed mechanical stirrer, a dropping funnel, and an efficient reflux condenser are placed 720 g. (226 cc., 4.5 moles) of bromine (Note i) and 1.5 g. of sulfur (Note 2). A glass tube is connected to the top of the condenser to carry the evolved hydrogen bromide to a gas trap (Org. Syn. 14, 2). Sixty-nine grams (69 cc., 0.52 mole) of dry paraldehyde (Note r) is added slowly, with stirring, over a period of about four hours. The reaction proceeds under its own heat during the addition of the paraldehyde subsequently the mixture is heated externally for two hours at 60-80°. The solution is distilled and a fraction collected over the range 155-175° (Note 3). 

The anti-Markownikoff addition of hydrogen bromide to alkenes was one of the earliest free-radical reactions to be put on a firm mechanistic basis. In the presence of a suitable initiator, such as a peroxide, a radical-chain mechanism becomes competitive with the ionic mechanism for addition of hydrogen bromide ... 

Because the bromine adds to the less substituted carbon atom of the double bond, generating the more stable radical intermediate, the regioselectivity of radical-chain hydrobromination is opposite to that of ionic addition. The early work on the radical mechanism of addition of hydrogen bromide was undertaken to understand why Maikow-nikofF s rule was violated under certain circumstances. The cause was found to be conditions that initiated the radical-chain process, such as peroxide impurities or light. 

Khaiasch proposed that hydrogen bromide can add to alkenes by two different mechanisms, both of which aie regiospecific. The first mechanism is electrophilic addition and follows Maikovnikov s rule. 

A. Preparation of a-bromoisobutyryl bromide. To a mixture of 250 g. (2.85 moles) of isobutyric acid and 35 g. (1.13 moles) of red phosphorus in a 1-1. three-necked flask, fitted by ground-glass joints to a dropping funnel, mechanical stirrer, and reflux condenser, is added, dropwise with stirring, 880 g. (5.5 moles) of bromine. After the addition is complete, the solution is warmed to 100° over a period of 6 hours. The unreacted bromine and hydrogen bromide are removed under reduced pressure (30 mm.). The a-bromoisobutyryl bromide is decanted from the phosphorous acid and fractionated through a short helices-packed column. After a considerable fore-cut, the main fraction, 493-540 g. (75-83%), is collected at 91-98° (100 mm.). 

During dropwise addition of the bromide to the liquid alcohol, the mechanical stirrer stopped, presumably allowing a layer of the dense tribromide to accumulate below the alcohol. Later manual shaking caused an explosion, probably owing to the sudden release of gaseous hydrogen bromide on mixing. 

The mechanism for the hydrogen halide-alkene addition reaction is again a two-step process and is Illustrated below using hydrogen bromide and propene. 

In the early days of alkene chemistry, some researchers found that the hydrohalogenation of alkenes followed Markovnikov s rule, while others found that the same reaction did not. For example, when freshly distilled but-l-ene was exposed to hydrogen bromide, the major product was 2-bromopropane, as expected by Markovnikov s rule. However, when the same reaction was carried out with a sample of but-l-ene that had been exposed to air, the major product was 1-bromopropane formed by antl-Markovnikov addition. This caused considerable confusion, but the mystery was solved by the American chemist, Morris Kharasch, in the 1930s. He realised that the samples of alkenes that had been stored in the presence of air had formed peroxide radicals. The hydrohalogenation thus proceeded by a radical chain reaction mechanism and not via the mechanism involving carbocation intermediates as when pure alkenes were used. 

Evidence in support of a carbonium ion type of mechanism for low temperature polymerization was also obtained in an investigation of the kinetics of the homogeneous liquid phase polymerization of propene in the presence of aluminum bromide and hydrogen bromide at about —78° (Fontana and Kidder, 89). The rate of reaction is approximately proportional to the concentration of the promoter, no polymerization occurring in its absence. During the main portion of the reaction, the rate is independent of the monomer concentration toward the end, it decreases, due apparently to the low-concentration of the monomer, addition of more olefin resulting in an increase in the rate. It was concluded that the reaction involves an active complex, which may be regarded as a carbonium ion coupled with an anion ... 

Reaction 1 has been postulated both in oxidations of alkanes in the vapor phase (29) and in the anti-Markovnikov addition of hydrogen bromide to olefins in the liquid phase (14). Reaction 2 involves the established mechanism for free-radical bromination of aromatic side chains (2). Reaction 4 as part of the propagation step, established in earlier work without bromine radicals (26), was not invoked by Ravens, because of the absence of [RCH3] in the rate equation. Equations 4 to 6, in which Reaction 6 was rate-determining, were replaced by Ravens by the reaction of peroxy radical with Co2+ ... 

In a 3-I. three-neck flask, provided with a short reflux condenser, a mechanical stirrer and a separatory funnel, is placed a solution of 636 g. (5.3 moles) of mesitylene (Note 1) in 600-700 g. of carbon tetrachloride. The flask is placed in an ice-salt bath and when the reaction mixture is cold (below io°), a solution of 900 g. (5.6 moles) of bromine in 900 g. of carbon tetrachloride is added to the well-stirred solution. The bromina-tion proceeds very readily, and the hydrogen bromide which is evolved is led off through the condenser and absorbed in water. The addition of the bromine solution requires about three hours, during which time the temperature is maintained at 10-15°. 

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