Regio - and stereospecific halogenation of 7alogenoalkenes in liquid hydrogen fluoride

The products of bromo and chlorofluorination of E and Z-1,2-dichloroethylenes, 1, 3-dichloro-1-propenes, 1, 1-dichloro- ethylene and 1, 3-dichloro-2-fluoro-1-propene by N-bromosuccinimide and hexachloromelamine in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride have been studied. It was found that the reaction was in all cases 100% regio and 93–100% trans-stereospecific with the exception of E-1, 2-dichloro-ethylene, its trans-stereospecificity being 85%.Threo and erithro-1-bromo-1, 2-dichloro-2-fluoroethanes, 2-bromo-1, 3-dichloro-1-fluoropropanes and 1, 2, 3-trichloro-1-fluoro-propanes as well 1, 1, 2-trichloro-2-fluoroethane, 1-bromo-2, 2-dichloro-2-fluoroethane, 1, 2, 2-trichloro-2 fluoroethane, 1-bromo-1, 3-dichloro-2, 2-difluoropropane, and 1, 1, 3-trichloro-2,2-difluoropropane were obtained in 50–70% yield.The bromination of E and Z-1, 3-dichloro-1-propenes with molecular bromine in carbon tetrachloride in the dark is non-stereospecific and gives a mixture of erithro and threo-1, 2-dibromo-1, 3-dichloropropanes in the ratio about 1:1. However, the bromination reaction in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride solution proceeds with a high degree of stereospecificity (94–95%) and gives threo-1, 2-dibromo-1, 3-dichloropropane from Z and erithro-1, 2-dibromo-1, 3-dichloropropane from E-1, 3-dichloro-1-propene.The data obtained are considered in terms of an electrophilic mechanism of halogenoalkene halogenation in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and a free-radical mechanism in carbon tetrachloride.