Anti Markovnikov Addition Reaction: Rule & Mechanism

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Arpita Srivastava

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In organic chemistry, the anti-Markovnikov addition Reaction involves adding electrophile HX to an alkene or alkyne. 

  • When a general electrophile HX reacts with an alkene or alkyne, the hydrogen atom of HX bonds to the carbon atom in the beginning alkene or alkyne with the minimum amount of hydrogen atoms. 
  • Alkenes are unsaturated hydrocarbons, which means they contain at least one double bond in each molecule.
  • They exhibit additional reactions where an electrophile targets the carbon-carbon double bond.
  • It results in the production of additional products owing to the existence of pi electrons
  • The reaction between HBr and substituted alkenes was the result of the study of free-radical additions.

Key Terms: Anti Markovnikov Addition Reaction, Anti-Markovnikov Addition, Halogenation, Markovnikov Rule, Markovnikov Addition, Electrophile, Alkene, Alkyne, Anti Markovnikov Rule


Anti Markovnikov Addition

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According to Markovnikov's rule, when HBr is applied to unsymmetrical alkenes in the presence of peroxide, 1-bromopropane is produced in place of 2-bromopropane. 

  • This reaction is also called the anti-Markovnikov addition or the Kharash effect. 
  • Anti Markovnikov Addition Reaction is named after M. S. Kharash, the first person to notice it. 
  • The Kharash effect and peroxide effect are other names for this method.
  • Anti Markovnikov addition reaction is another example of an alkene addition reaction that defies Markovnikov's law. 
  • It is one of the rarest reactions in organic chemistry that utilizes the free radical mechanism rather than electrophilic addition, as indicated by Markovnikov. 
  • This reaction only occurs with HBr, not with HCl or HI.
Anti Markovnikov Addition

Anti Markovnikov Addition

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Mechanism of Anti-Markovnikov Addition

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A free radical system is discovered to be involved in the Anti Markovnikov addition reaction. The general mechanism for the reaction is as follows :

  • Homolytic cleavage of a peroxide molecule produces a free radical.
  • The attack of a produced free radical on hydrogen halide, resulting in the formation of a halide radical by hemolysis
  • Similarly, the attack of the produced halide radical on the alkene molecule results in the formation of an alkyl radical by hemolysis.
  • Then, homolytic breakage of the hydrogen halide bond is produced by an alkyl radical on hydrogen halide to form alkyl halide.
Mechanism of Anti-Markovnikov Addition

Mechanism of Anti-Markovnikov Addition 


Anti Markovnikov Halogenation

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The addition of a halogen to an alkane’s C = C double bond is known as halogenation . A free radical response of hydrogen bromide to an alkene is known as an Anti-Markovnikov halogenation. 

  • The H (Hydrogen) atom combines with the C atom with more H atoms in a Markovnikov addition of HBr (Hydrogen Bromide) to propene. 
  • The end product is 2-bromopropane, which is shown below.
  • When peroxides are available, H couples to the C atom, resulting in a decreased number of H atoms. 
  • 1-bromopropane is the final product. 
  • The anti-Markovnikov addition reaction is necessary because the Br (Bromine) atom attacks the alkene. 
  • With the greatest H (Hydrogen) atoms, it strikes the C (Carbon) atom. 
  • As a result, the H atom connects to the C atom with the least amount of H atoms.


Anti-Markovnikov Rule

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The Anti-Markovnikov rule describes regiochemistry in which the substitution is linked to fewer carbon substitutes rather than more. Carbocations usually produced during alkene or alkyne reactions tend to favor more substituted carbon, which makes one of these processes rather rare.

  • This occurs because the carbocation substitution allows for greater hyperconjugation and induction, resulting in a more stable carbohydrate .
  • Morris Selig Karasch described this method for the first time in his 1933 publication, 'Addition of Hydrogen Bromide to Allyl Bromide.'
  • The Radical Addition of HBr and Hydroboration-oxidation are two examples of the Anti-Markovnikov rule.
  • Any chemical compound having an unpaired electron is known as a free radical.
  • The ensuing carbon forms have more carbon substituents in them.
  • Primary carbon (least substituted), Secondary carbon (middle substituted), and Tertiary carbon are examples of the Anti-Markovnikov rule (most substituted).
  • Anti-Markovnikov Only HBr will be affected by radical addition of Haloalkane, and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) must be present.
  • This method requires Hydrogen Peroxide since it is the chemical that initiates the chain reaction in the first place.
  • In radical reactions, HI (Hydrogen Iodide) and HCl (Hydrochloric Acid) cannot be employed.
  • As you may recall from Chem 118A, one of the radical reaction phases is initiation Endothermic, which indicates the reaction is unpalatable.

Example of Anti-Markovnikov Rule

Let us use 2-Methylpropene as an instance of the anti-Markovnikov rule of regiochemistry to explain it.

Initiation Steps

Peroxide is a highly unstable substance. Two free OH radicals will develop if we flash it or heat it with sunshine. These OH radicals will next attack HBr, which will absorb the Hydrogen and generate a Bromine radical as a result.

  • Since hydrogen radicals appear to be exceedingly volatile with only one electron, they do not develop.
  • As a result, a more stable bromine radical will be produced.
Propagation Steps

The Bromine Radical will now attack the alkene’s less substituted carbon. This occurs since a carbon radical is produced when the bromine radicals attack the alkene.

  • According to hyperconjugation and induction, a carbon radical is particularly stable when it depends on a more substituted carbon.
  • As a result, the radical will form on the more substituted carbon, while the bromine will form on the less substituted carbon.
  • Once a carbon radical has been generated, it will proceed to attack the hydrogen in an HBr, resulting in the formation of a bromine radical.
Termination Steps

There are also the Termination Steps to consider. The termination stages, on the other hand, are unimportant because they are simply the radicals combining to produce waste products.

  • Two bromine radicals, for instance, unite to form bromine.
  • This radical addition reaction of bromine to an alkene will continue until all of the alkene has been converted to bromoalkane.
  • This procedure will take a little longer to complete.


Things to Remember 

  • Anti Markovnikov Addition Reaction involves the addition of HBr to unsymmetrical alkenes in the presence of peroxide.
  • This results in the formation of 1-bromopropane in place of 2-bromopropane.
  • Anti-addition occurs when two substituents are added to opposite sides (or faces) of a double or triple bond.
  • It causes the bond order to change and the number of substituents to rise.
  • Markovnikov's rule states that in an addition reaction, hydrogen atoms are connected to the carbon atom with the most hydrogen substituents.
  • The anti-Markovnikov rule implies that hydrogen atoms are connected to the carbon atom with the lowest hydrogen substituents.

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Sample Questions

Ques: What is the simple definition of the anti-Markovnikov rule? What is the Markovnikov rule and how does it work? (3 marks)

Ans: The Anti-Markovnikov rule states that regiochemistry where the substituent is bound to a less substituted carbon rather than the more substituted carbon. Since substituted carbocation permits for more hyperconjugation and induction, the carbocation acts more stable.

  • When an asymmetric alkene is treated with a protic acid HX or some other polar reagent, the acid hydrogen (H) group or electropositive component connects to the carbon with more hydrogen substituents, while the halide (X) group or electronegative component connects to the carbon with additional alkyl substituents.

Ques: Why does anti-addition occur? (2 marks)

Ans: Anti addition occurs when two substituents are added to opposite sides (or faces) of a double or triple bond, causing the bond order to change and the number of substituents to rise. Depending on the double bond in the substrate, addition can have various effects on the molecule.

Ques: What is the anti Markovnikov rule or peroxide effect? (2 marks)

Ans: When HBr adds on the "wrong way around" in the availability of organic peroxides, came to be known as the peroxide effect or anti-Markovnikov addition.And when there is no peroxides, hydrogen bromide adds to propene via electrophilic reaction. As a result, Markovnikov's Rule predicts the product.

Ques: In anti-rule, Markovnikov's what reagent is used? Is bromination a reaction of addition or subtraction? (3 marks)

Ans: When hydrogen bromide is added to isobutylene in the presence of benzoyl peroxide or hydrogen peroxide, the anti-Markovnikov rule is demonstrated. In the research of free-radical additions, the reaction of HBr with substituted alkenes was prototypical.

  • Any process or reaction that involves bromine being introduced into a molecule.
  • Bromination occurs when Br2 is electrophilically added to an alkene.
  • A benzene ring is brominated by an electrophilic aromatic substitution.
  • To bromate a benzylic position, a free radical substitution method is used.

Ques: Why is HCl not included in the anti-Markovnikov rule? (2 marks)

Ans: The acid HCl is quite stable. The H-Cl bond (430 kJ moH) is more powerful than the H-Br bond (378 kJ mol-1) and is not symmetrically destroyed by peroxide's free radicals. As a result, the addition of HCl to alkenes as a free radical is not conceivable. As a consequence, the peroxide effect has no effect on HI.

Ques: Why does peroxide cause anti-Markovnikov? (2 marks)

Ans: The peroxide effect, also called as anti-Markovnikov addition, happens when HBr adds on the "wrong way around" in the availability of organic peroxides. Hydrogen bromide is added to propene via an electrophilic addition process without any presence of peroxides. As a result, the product predicted by Markovnikov's Rule is attained.

Ques: What is the significance of Markovnikov's rule? (2 marks)

Ans: Markovnikov's rule is an empirical rule for predicting the regioselectivity of electrophilic addition reactions between alkenes and alkynes. The net reaction that produces the observed result is the addition of the hydrogen atom in HBr to the doubly bound carbon atom in the alkene that has the most hydrogen atoms.

Ques: How do you tell whether it is anti-Markovnikov? (2 marks)

Ans: The primary distinction between the Markovnikov and Anti Markovnikov rules is that in an addition reaction, hydrogen atoms are connected to the carbon atom with the most hydrogen substituents, while the Anti Markovnikov rule implies that hydrogen atoms are connected to the carbon atom with the lowest hydrogen substituents.

Ques: What is anti-Markovnikov halogenation reaction? (3 marks)

Ans: The addition of a halogen to an alkane’s C = C double bond is known as halogenation . A free radical response of hydrogen bromide to an alkene is known as an Anti-Markovnikov halogenation. The H (Hydrogen) atom combines to the C atom with more H atoms in a Markovnikov addition of HBr (Hydrogen Bromide) to propene. The end product is 2-bromopropane, which is shown below. H couples to the C atom in the availability of peroxides, resulting in a decreased number of H atoms. Anti-Markovnikov addition is what this term refers to. 1-bromopropane is the final product

Ques: What are the properties of alkenes? (3 marks)

Ans: The properties of alkene are as follows:

  • Alkenes are lighter than water.
  • When molecule mass or chain length grows, the boiling point progressively rises.
  • It indicates that as the molecule's size increases, the attractions get stronger.
  • Gases are members with two or four carbon atoms, liquids with five to seventeen, and solids at normal temperature with eighteen and beyond.
  • It burns with a bright, smoky flame in the atmosphere.
  • They are insoluble in water but soluble in many organic solvents, including benzene.

Ques: What is the termination stage in 2-ethylpropene? (2 marks)

Ans: The termination stages are unimportant because they are simply the radicals combining to produce waste products. Two bromine radicals, for instance, unite to form bromine. This radical addition reaction of bromine to an alkene will continue until all of the alkene has been converted to bromoalkane. This procedure will take a little longer to complete.


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