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Alkenes
Contains one pi bond and one sigma bond between two carbon atoms
Terminal Alkenes
have the double bond at the end of the carbon chain
Internal Alkenes
Have at least one carbon atom bonded to each end of the double bond.
Cycloalkenes
Contain a double bond in a ring
C-C Pi Bond
- 267 KJ/mol - the pi bond is much weaker than the sigma bond of a C-C double bond, making it much more easily broken. As a result, alkenes undergo many reactions that alkanes do not.
Restricted Rotation
The rotation around the C-C double bond is restricted. Rotation can occur only if the pi bond breaks and then reforms, a process that is unfavorable.
Stereoisomerism
Whenever two groups on each end of a C=C are different from each other, two diastereomers are possible. Cis- and trans- are diastereomers.
Stability
Trans alkenes are generally more stable than cis alkenes. The stability of an alkene increases as the number of R groups on the C=C increases.
Addition Reactions
Every reaction of alkenes involves addition: the pi bond is always broken. Because alkenes are electron rich, simple alkenes do NOT react with nucleophiles or bases, reagents that are themselves electron rich. Alkenes react with electrophiles.
Syn Addition
Takes place when both X and Y are added from the same side.
Anti Addition
Takes place when X and Y are added from opposite sides
Hydrohalogenation
The addition of hydrogen halides HX (X= Cl, Br, I) to alkenes to form alkyl halides.
Addition of HX
Two bonds are broken in this reaction - the weak pi bond of the alkene and the HX bond - and two new sigma bonds are formed - one to H and one to X.
Electrophilic Additions
The electrophilic (H) end of HX is attracted to the electron-rich double bond.
Addition Reactions
Exothermic -Occur in two steps: 1. addition of H to form carbocation and 2. nucleophilic attack of X - Consists of two Lewis acid-base reactions
Markovnikov's Rule
In the addition of HX to an unsymmetrical alkene, the H atom bonds to the less substituted carbon atom - that is, the carbon that has more H atoms to begin with.
Carbocation Stability
The less stable, the more energy it requires for a transition state
Intermediate Carbocation
The more stable, more substituted carbocation is formed by addition of the electrophile to the less substituted carbon.
1,2-CH3 Shift
Moving the methyl to carbon with more H's on it, so that the carbocation can be the most stable (secondary or tertiary)
Stereochemical Principles
Trigonal planar atoms react with reagents from two directions with equal probability and achiral starting materials yield achiral or racemic products.
Hydrohalogenation Reactions
Begin with achiral reactant and form an achiral product.
Because a product has a stereogenic center at a newly formed sp3 hybridized carbons,
and equal amount of two entiomers - a racemic mixture must form! Two products of equal amount!
Hydrohalogenation
occurs with syn and anti addition of HX
Stereospecific Reaction
A reaction is stereospecific when each of two specific stereoisomers of a starting material yields a particular stereoisomer of a product.
Halogenation Mechanism
Addition of X+ forms an unstable bridged halonium ion in the rate-determining step. Nucleophilic attack of X- occurs from the back side to form trans products. The overall result is anti addition of X2 across the double bond.
Bromohydrins
Br2 and H2O forms bromohydrins, but can also be formed from N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in aqueous DMSO [(CH3)2S=O].
Halohydrins
Preferred product has the electrophilic X+ bonded to the less substituted carbon atom (more H's); the nucleophile (H2O) bonds to the more substituted carbon. Anti addition occurs.
Hydroboration-Oxidation
Hydroboration-oxidation is a two step reaction sequence that converts an alkene to an alcohol. Addition of borane (BH3) to an alkene, forming an alkylborane. Oxidation converts the C-B bond of the alkylborane to a C-O bond.

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