Some easy problems 3
Chemistry
Level
2
Which alcohol will most easily react with to form an alkyl halide?
Secondary alcohol
All alcohols react equally to form alkyl halides
Tertiary alcohol
Primary alcohol
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1 solution
Tertiary alcohols have greater reactivity with hydrogen halides than secondary alcohols – which in turn have greater reactivity than primary alcohols – in reactions forming alkyl halides. For tertiary alcohols, the reaction proceeds by an SN1 mechanism which prefers a more substituted alcohol. For small primary and secondary alcohols, there is some reactivity by an SN2 mechanism, but the SN1 mechanism with tertiary alcohols is the most reactive.
A. Primary alcohol, incorrect.
B. Secondary alcohol, incorrect.
C. Tertiary alcohol, correct.
D. All alcohols react equally to form alkyl halides, incorrect.