Superacid-catalyzed reactions of olefinic pyrazines: an example of anti-Markovnikov addition involving superelectrophiles

[reaction: see text] Olefinic pyrazines are found to react with benzene in CF3SO3H and give anti-Markovnikov-type addition products. We propose that this is caused by two effects: destabilization of the carbocationic intermediates that would lead to Markovnikov-type products and the generation of a considerable amount of positive charge at the terminal carbon of the olefinic groups. This suggests that acid-catalyzed addition reactions can give anti-Markovnikov-type products when a multiply charged (i.e., superelectrophilic) group is adjacent to the olefinic site.