Sulfuric acid, addition to alkenes

Markovmkov s rule is obeyed because the mechanism of sulfuric acid addition to alkenes illustrated for the case of propene m Figure 6 8 is analogous to that described earlier for the electrophilic addition of hydrogen halides... 

Hydrogen sulfide is a better nucleophile than water and will undergo nucleophilic addition to alkenes and alkynes in the presence of an acidic catalyst, e.g. sulfuric acid or aluminium chloride (Markownikoff addition). The reaction goes well with suitable alkenes and provides a preparative route to thiols (Scheme 9). 

Note that metal halides such as FeBrj and AICI3 are catalysts for halogenation and alkylation, and sulfuric acid is a catalyst for nitration. These reactions do not contradict the earlier discussion on the high stability of the aromatic structure. The aromatic structure is intact after these reactions. All of the reagents in these reactions bring about addition to alkenes (including the nitration and alkylation reagents which were not previously discussed in Chap. 11), but there is no addition to the double bonds in benzene, only substitution. 

This method is also used with alcohols of the stmcture Cl(CH2) OH (114). HaloaLkyl chlorosulfates are likewise obtained from the reaction of halogenated alkanes with sulfur trioxide or from the chlorination of cycHc sulfites (115,116). Chlorosilanes form chlorosulfate esters when treated with sulfur trioxide or chlorosulfuric acid (117). Another approach to halosulfates is based on the addition of chlorosulfuric or fluorosulfuric acid to alkenes in nonpolar solvents (118). 

Fluorobenzene is readily alkylated with alkenes in the presence of protic acids, however, the isomenc purity of the product is poor, and polysubstitution can result Thus, propene and sulfuric acid alkylate fluorobenzene at 20 C to yield a 45 55 ortho/para ratio of the inonoalkyl product m addition to di- and triiso propylfluorobenzene [i5] The reaction of benzene and trifluoropropene at 25 °C in HF-BF3 gives a mixture of mono-, bis-, and tns(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)ben zene [72, 75] (equation 12)... 

The chemistry of alkynes is dominated by electrophilic addition reactions, similar to those of alkenes. Alkynes react with HBr and HC1 to yield vinylic halides and with Br2 and Cl2 to yield 1,2-dihalides (vicinal dihalides). Alkynes can be hydrated by reaction with aqueous sulfuric acid in the presence of mercury(ll) catalyst. The reaction leads to an intermediate enol that immediately isomerizes to yield a ketone tautomer. Since the addition reaction occurs with Markovnikov regiochemistry, a methyl ketone is produced from a terminal alkyne. Alternatively, hydroboration/oxidation of a terminal alkyne yields an aldehyde. 

Hydration (Section 7.4) Addition of water to a molecule, such as occurs when alkenes are treated with aqueous sulfuric acid to give alcohols. 

There are actually three reactions called by the name Schmidt reaction, involving the addition of hydrazoic acid to carboxylic acids, aldehydes and ketones, and alcohols and alkenes. The most common is the reaction with carboxylic acids, illustrated above.Sulfuric acid is the most common catalyst, but Lewis acids have also been used. Good results are obtained for aliphatic R, especially for long chains. When R is aryl, the yields are variable, being best for sterically hindered compounds like mesi-toic acid. This method has the advantage over 18-13 and 18-14 that it is just one laboratory step from the acid to the amine, but conditions are more drastic. Under the acid conditions employed, the isocyanate is virtually never isolated. 

When alkenes are treated with cold concentrated sulfuric acid, they dissolve because they react by addition to form alkyl hydrogen sulfates. 

The overall result of the addition of sulfuric acid to an alkene followed by... 

Hydride transfer from alkenes was also proposed to occur during sulfuric acid-catalyzed alkylation modified with anthracene (77). Then the butene loses a hydride and forms a cyclic carbocation intermediate, yielding—on reaction with isobutene—trimethylpentyl cations. This conclusion was drawn from the observation of a sharp decrease in 2,2,3-TMP selectivity upon addition of anthracene to the acid. 

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