What is the major product of the following reaction?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reaction involves the conversion of alkyl halides to alkenes in the presence of a strong base. In this case, the strong base is tert-butoxide ion (t-BuO^-). The t-BuO^- attacks the β-hydrogen of the alkyl halide, leading to the elimination of a leaving group (in this case, iodine). The resulting structure is an alkene. In this reaction, the alkyl halide has two β-hydrogens on adjacent carbon atoms. Therefore, t-BuO^- can attack either of the two β-hydrogens, leading to the formation of two alkenes. The major product is the more substituted alkene (II), which is formed from the more hindered β-hydrogen. Therefore, the best choice is B.

What Is the Major Product of the Following Reaction