Regioselectivity

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In chemistry, regioselectivity is the preference of one direction of chemical bond making or breaking over all other possible directions [1] [2]. It can often apply to which of many possible positions a reagent will affect, such as which proton a strong base will abstract from an organic molecule, or where on a substituted benzene ring a further substituent will add.

A specific example is a halohydrin formation reaction with 2-propenylbenzene [3]:

Regioselectivity In halohydrin formation

The reaction product is a mixture of two isomers and the regioselectivity is said to be poor.

Regioselectivity in ring-closure reactions is subject to Baldwin's rules.


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ March, Jerry (1985). Advanced Organic Chemistry, Reactions, Mechanisms and Structure, third Edition, John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-85472-7. 
  2. ^ http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/351/Carey5th/Ch06/ch6-0-1.html Regioselectivity & Stereoselectivity
  3. ^ Regioselectivity in Organic Synthesis: Preparation of the Bromohydrin of alpha-Methylstyrene Brad Andersh, Kathryn N. Kilby, Meghan E. Turnis, and Drew L. Murphy 102 Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 85 No. 1 January 2008