Explain the addition of sulphuric acid to alkenes with the help of a reaction.

Vedclass pdf generator app on play store
Vedclass iOS app on app store
(N/A) The addition of concentrated sulphuric acid to alkenes follows the electrophilic addition mechanism.
$(i)$ For ethene:
$CH_2=CH_2 + H-OSO_3H \xrightarrow{298 \ K} CH_3-CH_2-OSO_3H$ (Ethyl hydrogen sulphate)
$(ii)$ For propene:
$CH_3-CH=CH_2 + H-OSO_3H \xrightarrow{298 \ K} CH_3-CH(OSO_3H)-CH_3$ (Isopropyl hydrogen sulphate)
Mechanism:
$1$. The sulphuric acid dissociates to provide an electrophile $H^{\delta+}$ and a nucleophile $^{-}OSO_3H$.
$2$. The electrophile $H^{\delta+}$ attacks the $\pi$-bond to form a carbocation.
$3$. In the case of unsymmetrical alkenes like propene,the reaction follows Markovnikov's rule,where the more stable carbocation $(CH_3-CH^+-CH_3)$ is formed.
$4$. The nucleophile $^{-}OSO_3H$ then attacks the carbocation to form the final alkyl hydrogen sulphate product.

Explore More

Similar Questions

The ozonolysis products of an olefin are $CHO-CHO$ and $CHO-CH_2-CH_2-CHO$. The olefin is:

Identify the major product $X$ in the following reaction:
$1,5,5-\text{trimethylcyclohex-1-ene} \xrightarrow{N.B.S., h\nu} X$

Isobutene,in the presence of $H_2SO_4$,forms a mixture of two isomeric alkenes $(C_8H_{16})$. The major alkene is

Glycol on treatment with $PI_3$ mainly gives -

The bond angle in ethylene is $............$ $^o$.

Vedclass Products

For Students

Vedclass Test Series

Mock tests in real JEE/NEET style with performance analysis. 5-day free trial.

Start Free Trial
For Teachers

Exam Paper Generator

Generate Set A/B/C/D exam papers from 7.5L+ questions in 2 minutes. 3 chapters free.

Try Free
For Institutes

Online Exam Module

Live online exams with unlimited students, 360° analytics & white-label branding.

See Demo