Evidence for BINAP-Stabilized Gold(II) Species in a Catalytic Bromination Reaction of Terminal Alkynes

Yonglei Du1,2, Chengyihan Gu3, Hongwei Sun1

  • 1College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, and Centre for Atomic Engineering of Advanced Materials, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China.

Related Concept Videos

Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Hydroboration-Oxidation02:47

Alkynes to Aldehydes and Ketones: Hydroboration-Oxidation

Introduction
One of the convenient methods for the preparation of aldehydes and ketones is via hydration of alkynes. Hydroboration-oxidation of alkynes is an indirect hydration reaction in which an alkyne is treated with borane followed by oxidation with alkaline peroxide to form an enol that rapidly converts into an aldehyde or a ketone. Terminal alkynes form aldehydes, whereas internal alkynes give ketones as the final product.
Radical Substitution: Allylic Bromination01:27

Radical Substitution: Allylic Bromination

In organic synthesis, the formation of products can be altered by changing the reaction conditions. For example, a dibromo addition product is formed when propene is treated with bromine at room temperature. In contrast, propene undergoes allylic substitution in non-polar solvents at high temperatures to give 3-bromopropene. In order to avoid the addition reaction, the bromine concentration must be kept as low as possible throughout the reaction. This can be achieved using N-bromosuccinimide...
Halogenation of Alkenes02:46

Halogenation of Alkenes

Halogenation is the addition of chlorine or bromine across the double bond in an alkene to yield a vicinal dihalide. The reaction occurs in the presence of inert and non-nucleophilic solvents, such as methylene chloride, chloroform, or carbon tetrachloride.
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: Hydrogenolysis of Alkyl Halides with Tributyltin Hydride01:26

Radical Substitution: Hydrogenolysis of Alkyl Halides with Tributyltin Hydride

Radical substitution reactions can be used to remove functional groups from molecules. The hydrogenolysis of alkyl halides is one such reaction, where the weak Sn–H bond in tributyltin hydride reacts with alkyl halides to form alkanes. Here, the reagent Bu3SnH yields tributyltin halide as a byproduct.
The bonds formed in this reaction are stronger than the bonds broken, making it energetically favorable. The reaction follows a radical chain mechanism similar to radical halogenation reactions,...
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes03:08

Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes

In addition to the oxymercuration–demercuration method, which converts the alkenes to alcohols with Markovnikov orientation, a complementary hydroboration-oxidation method yields the anti-Markovnikov product. The hydroboration reaction, discovered in 1959 by H.C. Brown, involves the addition of a B–H bond of borane to an alkene giving an organoborane intermediate. The oxidation of this intermediate with basic hydrogen peroxide forms an alcohol.
Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Halogenation02:38

Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Halogenation

Introduction
Halogenation is another class of electrophilic addition reactions where a halogen molecule gets added across a π bond. In alkynes, the presence of two π bonds allows for the addition of two equivalents of halogens (bromine or chlorine). The addition of the first halogen molecule forms a trans-dihaloalkene as the major product and the cis isomer as the minor product. Subsequent addition of the second equivalent yields the tetrahalide.