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Reactions of
Alkenes and Alkynes
Alkene Reactions
Reactions of Alkenes
Addition of a halogen to give 1,2-dihalide
Addition of a hypohalous acid to give
halohydrin
Addition of water to give alcohol
Addition of hydrogen to give alkane
Addition of single oxygen to give three-
membered cyclic ether: epoxide
Addition of two hydroxyl groups to give
1,2-diol
Addition of a hydrogen halide to give
halide
Oxidative cleavage to form a carbonyl
compound
Addition of carbene to form cyclopropane
8-1 Preparing Alkenes: A Preview of
Elimination Reactions
Preparation of alkenes: elimination reactions
Precursors to alkenes
Biological systems – usually alcohols
Laboratory – either alcohols or alkyl halides
Alkenes and alcohols are chemically related through addition and
elimination reactions
Alkenes add H2O to form alcohols
Alkenes add HX to form halides
Alcohols eliminate water to form alkenes
Alcohols eliminate HX to form alkenes
Preparing Alkenes: A Preview of Elimination
Reactions
Dehydrohalogenation
Loss of HX from alkyl halide
Usually occurs by reaction of an alkyl halide with a strong
base
Preparing Alkenes: A Preview of Elimination
Reactions
Dehydration
Loss of water from an alcohol
Usually occurs by treatment of an alcohol with a strong acid
Preparing Alkenes: A Preview of Elimination
Reactions
In biological pathways dehydrations normally take place
on substrates in which –OH is positioned two carbons
away from a carbonyl group
Problem 8.1 8.2
8-2 Halogenation of Alkenes
Halogenation
Addition reaction of alkenes
Addition of Br2 and Cl2 to alkenes to yield 1,2-dihalides
Halogenation of Alkenes
Halogenation of cycloalkenes
Only trans-stereoisomer of dihalide product is formed
Reaction occurs with anti stereochemistry – the two
halogen atoms come from opposite faces of double-
bond, one from top face and one form bottom face
Halogenation of Alkenes
Reaction occurs through an intermediate bromonium ion
(R2Br+), formed by interaction of the alkene with Br2 and
simultaneous loss of Br-
Halogenation of Alkenes
Bromonium ion shields one side of molecule so that
reaction with Br- ion occurs only from opposite side
Halogenation of Alkenes
Alkene halogenation reaction
Common laboratory reaction
Limited primarily to marine organisms in nature
Carried out by enzymes called haloperoxidases that oxidize
Br- or Cl- ions to a biological equivalent of Br+ or Cl+
Problem 8.3 8.4
8-3 Halohydrins from Alkenes
Halohydrin Formation (electrophilic addition)
Reaction of alkenes with hypohalous acids HO-Cl or
HO-Br to yield 1,2-halo alcohols called halohydrins
Polymer
A large molecule built up by repetitive bonding together of
many smaller molecules called monomers
Cellulose (glucose polymer)
Radical Addition to Alkenes: Alkene Polymers
Proteins (amino acid polymers)
Simplest polymerization
Result when an alkene is treated with a small
amount of a radical as an initiator
Radical Addition to Alkenes: Alkene Polymers
Initiation
1. Small amount of benzoyl peroxide catalyst is heated breaking
weak O-O bonds and yielding radicals
2. Benzoyloxy radical adds to C=C bond of ethylene forming a
carbon radical
3. a) One electron from C=C bond pairs up with electron of
benzoyloxy radical to form C-O bond
b) Other electron remains on carbon (a carbon-centered
radical)
Radical Addition to Alkenes: Alkene Polymers
Propagation
Polymerization occurs when the carbon radical adds to
another ethylene molecule to yield another radical
Termination
Chain process ends by a reaction that consumes a radical
Combination of two growing chains
2-R–CH2CH2• → R–CH2CH2CH2CH2–R
Radical Addition to Alkenes: Alkene Polymers
Vinyl monomers
Substituted ethylene
Undergo polymerization to yield polymer with substituted
groups regularly spaced in alternating carbon atom long chain
Polypropylene
Styrene
Radical Addition to Alkenes: Alkene Polymers
Polymerization of unsymmetrically substituted vinyl
monomers
Propylene or Styrene
Radical addition steps can take place at either end of the
double bond to yield:
A primary radical intermediate (RCH2.)
A secondary radical (R2CH.)
Similar to electrophilic addition reaction
More highly substituted, secondary radical is formed
Radical Addition to Alkenes: Alkene Polymers
Worked Example 8.4
Predicting the Structure of a Polymer
Strategy