Addition of HBr to alkenes
Addition of HBr to alkenes
Formula
CH₂=C(CH₃)₂ + HBr → (CH₃)₃CBr
Real World
When INEOS manufactures tert-butyl bromide for use as an alkylating agent, they rely on HBr adding to 2-methylpropene via the stable tertiary carbocation, giving almost exclusively the Markownikoff product.
Exam Focus
Show the carbocation intermediate explicitly and label it — writing a one-step mechanism loses the mark for the mechanism.
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