5/19/2012 - Alkene to 1,2-dihalide

Yet again another simple reaction takes us to working with alkenes, a major tool in an organic chemists' arsenal of reactions.  This reaction here is a reaction of an alkene to a 1,2-dihalide where an alkene is reacted with a molecular halide X₂ (F₂, Cl₂, Br₂, I₂) and dichloromethane as a solvent.  What happens is that the two halides go anti to one another so that they are opposite sides of the molecule.