Orbital mixing electrophilic addition

Polyacetylene reacts with chlorine rapidly to give a white polymer that is equivalent to poly(l,2-dichloroethylene) and no stereospecificity has been reported on the chlorinated polymer. The addition of halogens is an important general reaction of carbon-carbon double bonds in a stereospecific and regiospecific sense. For instance, the electrophilic additions of chlorine to ethylene, buta-1,3-diene and hexa-l,3,5-triene have been shown to proceed by 1,2-trans (anti), 1,4-cis (syn) and 1,6-trans (anti) attack, respectively. This stereospecificity has been rationalized with a mixing rule of a-n orbital interaction. The reaction of a long conjugated polyene like polyacetylene with chlorine may produce an atactic chlorinated polyene, because random l,2n additions occur to result in a random addition product. ... 

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