BRAINCAKEReaction with COncnetrated Sulfuric Acid
Alkenes react with cold concentrated sulfuric acid by electrophilic addition. With ethene the product is ethyl hydrogensulfate:
CH2=CH2 + H2SO4 → CH3CH2OSO2OH
In H2SO4 the O–H bonds are polar, so each hydrogen atom is δ+. That hydrogen is the electrophile.
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Key terms in this lesson
- carbocation
- A positively charged carbon atom formed as a reactive intermediate when a bond breaks heterolytically.
More in Alkenes
- Reaction with Halogens
- Reaction with Hydrogen Halides
- Asymmetrical Alkenes
- Reaction of Alkenes with Halogens
- Asymmetrical Alkenes
- Reaction with Water
- Addition Polymers
- Identifying the Repeating Group
All 23 lessons in Alkenes · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics