On the 150th anniversary of Markovnikov Rule

In 1869, Vladimir Vasilyevich Markovnikov, a Russian organic chemist from the  University of Kazan formulated in his doctoral thesis the famous rule which is named after his name. According to this rule: When an unsymmetrically substituted unsaturated hydrocarbon reacts with hydrogen halides, the halide adds to the least hydrogenated carbon, that is to the one which experience more influence from the other neighbouring carbons. In other words: when an unsymmetrical alkene reacts with a hydrogen halide, the hydrogen adds to the carbon that has the greater number of hydrogen substituents, and the halogen to the carbon having the fewer number of hydrogen substituents” Markovnikov’s rule predicted the regioselectivity of electrophilic addition reactions of alkenes.