Indium trichloride promotes the chlorination of terminal olefins in the presence of sodium hypochlorite with good results. Carvone was chosen as a model compound to examine some of the general features of this reaction, such as stoichiometry, temperature, reaction time and product conversion. Treatment of beta-pinene with sodium hypochlorite in the presence of indium trichloride resulted in a facile rearrangement to selectively yield perillyl chloride, which is an important precursor for C-7 oxygenated limonenes.
allylic chlorination; indium trichloride; sodium hypochorite
