[deed11]

Hi Everybody,

I have a mixture of poly-chlorinated alkanes, for example, decane with 50-70% chlorination. I am interested to know selective reactions which allow me to identify the chlorine patterns. For example, reactions which only eliminate vicinal chlorine (for example, 1, 3,4,10- tetrachlro-decane) and do not do dehydrohalogenation or vice versa. Or which could allow me to selectively change the functionality of these compounds. I would appreciate if you share some literature references.

Thanks a lot!

[SVXX]

Well, to eliminate syn-vicinal halide groups and simultaneously form a pi bond(without losing hydrogen), use zinc in acetic acid. It forms ZnX₂ as a precipitate and fast-forwards the reaction.
Tell me what you need specifically...and then I might be able to churn out more reactions for you.

[deed11]

Well, to eliminate syn-vicinal halide groups and simultaneously form a pi bond(without losing hydrogen), use zinc in acetic acid. It forms ZnX₂ as a precipitate and fast-forwards the reaction.
Tell me what you need specifically...and then I might be able to churn out more reactions for you.

Thanks for your reply. In fact, i want to separate these mixtures by chromatography. So I want to change their functionalists (for example, either to alcohol or SH) for example in aprotic solvents to exploit the SN2 selectivity at fast rate. Or by eliminating selectively either dehydrohalogenation or vicinal dehalogenation. Please note that the alkanes are polychlorinated,  some Cl might be at vicinal positions some at faraway positions for the same compound. Some compound might have only 1, 2 or 3 or more chlorine at random positions. So i need to know the reactions which only remove/substitute vicinal/non-vicinal  positions of chlorine.

Thanks again!

[SVXX]

There's one which acts on open chain dihalogen compounds, to form rings(mostly 3-member, 5-member or 6-member ones because they are either kinetically favourable, meaning orientation is favourable or thermodynamically favourable, meaning they are stable), called the Freund Reaction.
You use sodium or zinc metal in aqueous alcohol and sodium iodide catalyst to perform the reaction. This will remove the halogen atoms, if that's what you want, but I don't know whether ring formation is feasible for you or not.
http://www.drugfuture.com/organicnamereactions/ONR146.htm

And about chromatography, wait for more replies...I'm just a student and no professional or graduate