Question
Chemistry Question on Alcohols, Phenols And Ethers
Write the mechanism of acid dehydration of ethanol to yield ethene.
Answer
The mechanism of acid dehydration of ethanol to yield ethene involves the following three steps:
Step 1:Protonation of ethanol to form ethyl oxonium ion:
Step 2:Formation of carbocation (rate determining step):
Step 3:Elimination of a proton to form ethene:
The acid consumed in step 1 is released in Step 3.After the formation of ethene,it is removed to shift the equilibrium in a forward direction.
