JEE Main Chemistry question

In the presence of peroxide, HCl and HI do not show the anti-Markovnikov (peroxide) effect with alkenes because

(A)Both are highly ionic compounds
(B)One is an oxidising agent and the other a reducing agent
(C)One of the propagation steps is endothermic in each caseCorrect
(D)All of the propagation steps are exothermic in both cases

Answer: (C)

Solution

A successful radical-chain (peroxide-effect) addition needs both propagation steps — halogen-atom addition to the alkene, and H-abstraction from H–X by the resulting carbon radical — to be exothermic. For HCl the H–Cl bond is too strong, making

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Question ID VK-139976