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Multiple Choice
Which type of reaction is most likely to occur when a primary alcohol is treated with concentrated sulfuric acid?
A
Dehydration to form an alkene
B
Substitution to form an ether
C
Oxidation to form a carboxylic acid
D
Esterification
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the functional group present in the primary alcohol, which is the hydroxyl group (-OH).
Understand that concentrated sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) is a strong acid and a dehydrating agent, which can remove water (H₂O) from molecules.
Recognize that dehydration reactions typically involve the removal of a water molecule from the alcohol, leading to the formation of a double bond, resulting in an alkene.
Consider the mechanism: the hydroxyl group is protonated by sulfuric acid, making it a better leaving group, which then leaves as water, forming a carbocation intermediate.
The carbocation intermediate undergoes elimination of a proton from an adjacent carbon, forming a double bond and resulting in the formation of an alkene.