Radicals, anti-Markovnikov reactivity

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. 

Numerous attempts to obtain the Markovnikov adduct by varying the reaction conditions, including its realization in concentrated HC1, had failed. Moreover, in a competitive reaction of a mixture of 1-heptene and styrene only the anti-Markovnikov adducts were formed for both olefins and, surprisingly, 1-heptene was found to be more reactive than styrene. This is also in agreement with the concept of two mechanisms. Here, 1-heptene assists in the formation of GeCl3 radicals and styrene acts as a radical trap, forming selectively only the anti-Markovnikov adduct. 

The group VB hydrides show trends in reactivity similar to those of group IVB. The N-H bond can be reacted with alkenes only under the influence of catalysts or under forcing conditions. The P-H bond can be added to alkenes (hydrophosphination) in a free radical chain process, or under photolytic conditions. Such reactions proceed in good yield and in an anti-Markovnikov manner. Some typical free radical P-H additions are listed in Table 1 . The addition of phosphinyl radicals is reversible and can lead to... 

In the presence of a radical initiator, alkenes react with reactive molecules such as hydrogen bromide to give simple 1 1 adducts rather than a polymer. The initiator radical reacts rapidly with an HBr molecule to give a bromine atom (6.49), which starts the chain reaction. In the first propagation step, the bromine atom adds to the alkene 61 to give the adduct radical 62 (reaction 6.50). Since 62 abstracts a hydrogen atom from HBr by reaction (6.51) more rapidly than it would add to the alkene to form a polymer radical as in (6.43), the chain continues with reactions (6.50) and (6.51) as the propagating steps, and the product is the primary bromo compound 63. This anti-Markovniko addition is in the reverse direction to the polar addition discussed in Chapter 5. Since the radical chain reaction is faster than the polar reaction, the anti-Markovnikov product dominates if radicals are present. If the Markovnikov product is required, the reaction must be carried out in the dark, in the absence of free radical initiators, and preferably with a radical inhibitor present. 

The reaction of an alkene with HBr and peroxide gives the bromide product with the bromine on the less substituted carbon in an anti-Markovnikov addition reaction. This reaction work wells with HBr, but not with HCl or HI because the bromine radical reacts in a selective manner. Differences in the reactivity of halogen radicals are addressed in Chapter 11, Section 11.9. 

The addition of resolved P-chiral hydrogen phosphinates to alkenes has been accomplished without significant loss of the stereochemistry at phosphorus (Scheme 4.84) [124]. This reaction was achieved with the use of a radical initiator. One of the attractive aspects of this chemistry was that it proceeded under solvent-free conditions. The reaction was regioselective for the anti-Markovnikov product, and fair to moderate yields of the alkyl-phosphinate were obtained. Generally, high yields of the alkylphosphinate were obtained for a host of terminal alkenes as well as strained internal alkenes such as norbomene. Internal alkenes were significantly less reactive and satisfactory conversions were only... 

The formation of the carbon sulfur bond follows an anti-Markovnikov regios-electivity, which ensures the formation of the most stable carbon radical [42]. There are several reports establishing a general trend for the reaction of thiols with alkenes. Comprehensive reports in this regard were published by Hoyle et al. [43], where they compared the reaction of three families of thiols, namely alkyl-3-mercaptopropionates, alkyl thioglycolates, and alkyl thiols, with various alkenes. The reactivity order provided by them is as follows norbornene > vinyl ethers > propenyl > alkenes allyltriazines allyl isocyanurates > acrylates > N-substituted maleimides > acrylonitrile methacrylates > styrene > conjugated dienes. 

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