Vinyl halides from alkynes reacting with acids

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. 

OxazoIones are alkylated at position 4 by alkyl halides, allyl halides and electrophilic alkynes, such as methyl propiolate (equation 36). In contrast, 2-phenyloxazolones react with methyl vinyl ketone at both C(4) and C(2) to yield a mixture of Michael adducts (equation 37). If the phenyl substituent is replaced by the bulky 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl group the addition is directed exclusively to C(4) (81CB2580). Alkylation of 5(4//)-oxazolones is a key step in the synthesis of ketones from a-amino acids (Scheme 16). The outcome of this sequence is the union of the electrophilic fragment R3 with the group R2CO the amino acid thus functions as the equivalent of an acyl anion (78AG(E)450). 

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