Acid catalyzed hydration of alkenes except ethene leads to the formation of
- (A)primary alcohol
- (B)secondary or tertiary alcohol✓ Correct
- (C)mixture of primary and secondary alcohols
- (D)mixture of secondary and tertiary alcohols
Answer: (B)
Solution
Acid-catalysed hydration runs through a carbocation and follows Markovnikov's rule, so the proton adds to one carbon and the lands on the more substituted carbon, the one better able to carry positive charge. For any alkene beyond ethene this more-substituted carbon is itself secondary or tertiary, so the hydroxyl settles there and the product is a secondary or a tertiary alcohol depending on the alkene. Ethene is the lone exception, its symmetry allowing only the primary alcohol ethanol.
JEE Main · 2005 · 08 May 2005 · Offline · Single correct option