What is the major product of the elimination reaction of 2-bromobutane with a st

Practice Questions

Q1
What is the major product of the elimination reaction of 2-bromobutane with a strong base?
  1. Butene
  2. 2-butene
  3. 1-butene
  4. Butyne

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

What is the major product of the elimination reaction of 2-bromobutane with a strong base?
  • Step 1: Identify the starting material, which is 2-bromobutane. This molecule has a bromine atom attached to the second carbon of a four-carbon chain.
  • Step 2: Recognize that a strong base will be used in the reaction. Common strong bases include sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium tert-butoxide (KOtBu).
  • Step 3: Understand that the elimination reaction (E2 mechanism) will occur, where the strong base will remove a hydrogen atom from a carbon adjacent to the carbon with the bromine atom.
  • Step 4: Determine which hydrogen atom will be removed. In 2-bromobutane, there are two possible adjacent carbons (C1 and C3) that have hydrogen atoms.
  • Step 5: When the base removes a hydrogen from C3, the bromine leaves, forming a double bond between C2 and C3, resulting in 2-butene.
  • Step 6: Consider the stability of the alkene formed. 2-butene is more stable than 1-butene because it is a more substituted alkene (the double bond is between two carbons that each have more substituents).
  • Step 7: Conclude that the major product of the elimination reaction of 2-bromobutane with a strong base is 2-butene.
No concepts available.
Soulshift Feedback ×

On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend The Soulshift Academy?

Not likely Very likely