Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026

Efficient Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Centers via the Conjugate Addition of Functionalized Monoorganozinc Bromides
Published on: May 26, 2019
Zwitterionic-Salt-Catalyzed Site-Selective Monobromination of Arenes
Xiaodong Xiong1, Fei Tan1, Ying-Yeung Yeung1
1Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin, NT, Hong Kong (China).
Abstract:
A zwitterionic-salt-catalyzed electrophilic monobromination of arenes with high regioselectivity has been developed. Under mild reaction conditions, a wide range of monobrominated aromatic compounds can be obtained in excellent yields. The reaction can be operated using an extremely low catalyst loading (0.05 mol %) with the inexpensive brominating agent N-bromosuccinimide. The versatility of this catalytic protocol has been demonstrated by the scale-up reaction with a 0.01 mol % catalyst loading to provide the selectively halogenated compound in quantitative yield.
Related Concept Videos
Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution of Aryldiazonium Salts: Aromatic SN1
In the Sandmeyer reaction, for example, the diazonio group is replaced by a chloro, bromo,...
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Chlorination and Bromination of Benzene
Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution: Elimination–Addition
Halogenation of Alkenes
Consider the bromination of cyclopentene. Molecular bromine is polarized in the proximity of the π electrons of cyclopentene. An electrophilic bromine atom adds across the double bond, forming a cyclic bromonium ion intermediate.
Radical Substitution: Allylic Bromination
Regioselectivity of Electrophilic Additions to Alkenes: Markovnikov's Rule
The hydrohalogenation of an unsymmetrical alkene can yield two haloalkane products, depending on which vinylic carbon takes up the halogen. However, one product usually predominates, where hydrogen adds to the vinylic carbon bearing the...

