When an unsymmetrical alkene undergoes electrophilic addition you often get a major and minor product. What would the major product be when propene reacts with hydrochloric acid? Why is this?
The major product would be 2-chloropropane whilst the minor product would be 1-chloropropane. This is because the more stable secondary carbonation is formed as an intermediate. This is easy to show with a mechanism. The secondary carbocation is stabilised by the two neighbouring carbons pushing electron density towards it. This is known as the inductive effect .
JB
Related Chemistry A Level answers
All answers ▸Ethanol can be made from the reaction between ethene and water. The reaction is exothermic and occurs at a high temperature. Describe and explain the effect of raising the temperature on the rate of achievement of equilibrium and the equilibrium yield.
Calculate the pH of a 0.025 mol dm-3 solution of methanoic acid. For HCOOH, Ka = 1.58 x 10-4 mol dm-3
What are Van Der Waals dispersion forces?
Define the term 'first ionisation energy' and explain why the first ionisation energy shows a general increase across period 2