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Ch. 7 - The Reactions of Alkynes • An Introduction to Multistep Synthesis
Bruice - Organic Chemistry 8th Edition
Bruice8th EditionOrganic ChemistryISBN: 9780135213711Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 8, Problem 40e

Answer Problem 39, parts a–h, using 2-butyne as the starting material instead of propyne.
e. aqueous H2SO4, HgSO4

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1
Identify the starting material: The starting material is 2-butyne, which is an alkyne with the structure CH3-C≡C-CH3.
Understand the reaction conditions: The reagents are aqueous H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) and HgSO4 (mercuric sulfate). This combination is used to catalyze the hydration of alkynes, leading to the formation of a ketone via Markovnikov addition of water.
Determine the mechanism: The reaction proceeds through the formation of an enol intermediate (a compound with a hydroxyl group attached to a carbon-carbon double bond). This enol undergoes tautomerization to form a ketone, which is the more stable product.
Apply Markovnikov's rule: In the hydration of 2-butyne, the OH group from water will add to the more substituted carbon of the triple bond, while the hydrogen will add to the less substituted carbon. This ensures the formation of the more stable ketone.
Write the product structure: The final product will be a ketone, specifically 2-butanone (CH3-CO-CH2-CH3), as the triple bond in 2-butyne is converted into a carbonyl group at the more substituted carbon.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Hydration of Alkynes

The hydration of alkynes involves the addition of water across the triple bond, typically in the presence of an acid catalyst. In this case, 2-butyne reacts with aqueous H2SO4 to form an enol, which subsequently tautomerizes to a ketone. Understanding this process is crucial for predicting the products of the reaction.
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Markovnikov's Rule

Markovnikov's Rule states that in the addition of HX to an alkene or alkyne, the hydrogen atom will attach to the carbon with the greater number of hydrogen atoms already attached. This principle helps determine the regioselectivity of the hydration reaction, guiding the formation of the more stable carbocation intermediate during the reaction with 2-butyne.
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Tautomerization

Tautomerization is a chemical reaction that involves the rearrangement of bonds within a compound, resulting in the interconversion between two isomers, typically a keto and an enol form. In the context of the hydration of 2-butyne, the initial enol formed from the reaction with H2SO4 will quickly convert to the more stable ketone, which is the final product of the reaction.
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