Consider this reaction. Draw a curved-arrow mechanism for the reaction. Notice that concentrated acid is present as a catalyst. (You can abbreviate the catalyst as H-A in your mechanism.) This mechanism should be a series of acid-base steps.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer is The curved-arrow mechanism is as follows. This is by analogy to the mechanism of HBr addition or the mechanism of hydration, both of which go through a carbocation intermediate.

The curved-arrow mechanism is as follows. This is by analogy to the mechanism of HBr addition or the mechanism of hydration, both of which go through a carbocation intermediate. As noted in the problem, you could use H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> as your acid or abbreviate it with H-A. If you ionized the methanol and let the conjugate base attack the carbocation, this is not the expected pathway.

As noted in the problem, you could use H₂SO₄ as your acid or abbreviate it with H-A. If you ionized the methanol and let the conjugate base attack the carbocation, this is not the expected pathway.

Consider This Reaction