Questions: What is the major product of the following reaction?

Transcript text: What is the major product of the following reaction?

Solution

Solution Steps

Step 1: Identify the reaction type

The reaction is an acid-catalyzed dehydration of an alcohol. Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) acts as a catalyst to eliminate water (H₂O) from the starting alcohol.

Step 2: Determine the mechanism

The mechanism proceeds through protonation of the alcohol, followed by loss of water to form a carbocation. The most stable carbocation will be formed preferentially. In this case, a secondary carbocation will be favored over a primary carbocation. Finally, a double bond forms through elimination of a proton, resulting in an alkene.

Step 3: Predict the major product

The major product will be the most substituted alkene, according to Zaitsev's rule. In this case, that is structure III.