question_answer

Hydration of 3-phenylbut-l-ene in dilute \[{{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}}\] forms 2-phenylbutan-2-ol and not 3-phenylbutan-2-ol. Why?

Answer:

                The secondary carbocation initially formed as a result of hydration changes to a more stable tertiary carbocation by \[{{H}^{-}}\] ion shift. Therefore, the final product is different from the expected product.