Acid-catalyzed hydration of propene yields which alcohol?

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Multiple Choice

Acid-catalyzed hydration of propene yields which alcohol?

Acid-catalyzed hydration of alkenes follows Markovnikov's rule: the proton adds to the carbon with more hydrogens, and the OH group attaches to the more substituted carbon, via a carbocation intermediate. For propene (CH2=CH-CH3), protonation occurs at the terminal carbon, forming a secondary carbocation on the middle carbon. Water then attacks this carbocation and, after deprotonation, yields propan-2-ol (isopropanol). That is why the major product is propan-2-ol. The other options don’t come from this reaction: ethanol would require hydration of ethene, propanal arises from oxidation of propanol, and propan-1-ol would require a different regiochemistry not produced by simple acid-catalyzed hydration of propene.

Acid-catalyzed hydration of alkenes follows Markovnikov's rule: the proton adds to the carbon with more hydrogens, and the OH group attaches to the more substituted carbon, via a carbocation intermediate. For propene (CH2=CH-CH3), protonation occurs at the terminal carbon, forming a secondary carbocation on the middle carbon. Water then attacks this carbocation and, after deprotonation, yields propan-2-ol (isopropanol). That is why the major product is propan-2-ol. The other options don’t come from this reaction: ethanol would require hydration of ethene, propanal arises from oxidation of propanol, and propan-1-ol would require a different regiochemistry not produced by simple acid-catalyzed hydration of propene.

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