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 ▸Describe the mechanism for bromination across a double bond
The Aldehyde CH3CH2CHO (A) reacts with HCN to give a racemic mixture, name the compound CH3CH2CH(CN)OH (B) formed and explain why we get a racemic mixture and how we could differentiate between two different enantiomerically pure solutions of B
Describe the changes in equilibrium of ethanol production from ethene and water (enthalpy of reaction is ∆H = - 46 kJ/mol) when: (a) a high pressure is applied; (b) ethanol concentration is increased; (c) temperature is increased; (d) a catalyst is used.
Why do ionisation energies typically increase upon going across a period yet decrease upon going down a group?