Succinimide selective bromination with

Halogen-substituted succinimides are a class of products with important appHcations. /V-Bromosuccinimide [128-08-5] mp 176—177°C, is the most important product ia this group, and is prepared by addition of bromine to a cold aqueous solution of succinimide (110,111) or by reaction of succinimide with NaBr02 iu the presence of HBr (112). It is used as a bromination and oxidation agent ia the synthesis of cortisone and other hormones. By its use it is possible to obtain selective bromine substitution at methylene groups adjacent to double bonds without addition reactions to the double bond (113). 

Another reagent that is extremely useful synthetically is N-bromo-succinimide (NBS, 85), which is highly selective in attacking only weak C—H bonds, i.e. at allylic, benzylic, etc., positions. It requires the presence of radical initiators, and has been shown to effect bromination through providing a constant, but very low, ambient concentration of Br2—this is maintained through reaction of the HBr produced in the reaction with NBS (c, below). TTiere is usually a trace of Br2 or HBr in the NBS that can react with the initiator to generate the initial Br to start reaction (a, below) ... 

OH — X. Pi. carbohydrate hydroxyl group can be replaced by halogen (bromine, chlorine, iodine) by treatment in DMF with 2 eq. each of triphenylphosphine and an N-halosuccinimidc. The by-products are succinimide and triphenylphosphine oxide. Yields are generally high. Primary hydroxyl groups can be selectively replaced in the presence of secondary hydroxyl groups. 

The initiation step provides a radical source by thermal or photochemical dissociation of initiators, which then provides bromine radicals by reaction with Br2. Initiators are sometimes present in the alkene as allyl hydroperoxides which may be present due to inadvertent, prior autooxidation. Bromine or HBr may be present in trace amounts in NBS. Reaction of the bromine radical 20 with the substrate 1 proves selective for allylic or benzylic hydrogens due to the near thermoneutral nature of the reaction which breaks the C-H bond and forms the H-Br bond. Reaction of the formed carbon-centered radical 21 with Br2 provides the desired bromide 3 and Br 20. Hydrogen bromide 17 reacts with NBS to form succinimide 4 and resupplies the required low concentration of Br2. Alternatively, reaction of substrate radical 21 with NBS 2 provides product 3 and succinimidyl radical 22 (S ). Due to energy and kinetics considerations, abstraction of the allylic hydrogen by the S should be slower than abstraction of bromine from NBS by an allyl radical. In using solvents in which NBS, succinimide 4 or it s radical 22 are not very soluble, S is not the key chain-carrier. Byproducts and side-reactions can occur with S. ... 

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