Q.Explain the addition of HBr on propene with the help of Markownikoff's rule.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →HBr adds to propene via Markovnikov's rule to give 2-bromopropane as the major product, through a secondary carbocation intermediate.
Propene: CH3-CH=CH2. This is an unsymmetrical alkene: the two double-bond carbons are differently substituted — the terminal =CH2 carbon carries 2 hydrogens, while the internal =CH- carbon carries only 1 hydrogen (and is attached to the CH3 group).
Mechanism (electrophilic addition):
Step 1: The pi electrons of the double bond attack the electrophilic H of HBr (H+ acting as electrophile). Following Markovnikov's rule, the proton adds to the carbon bearing MORE hydrogens (the terminal CH2), because this generates a secondary carbocation at the other (more substituted) carbon: CH3-CH=CH2 + H+ gives CH3-CH+-CH3 (a secondary carbocation, on C2). This is preferred over the alternative (H adding to C2, giving a less stable primary carbocation CH3-CH2-CH2+), because the secondary carbocation is stabilised by the +I effect and hyperconjugation from two adjacent methyl-type C-H bonds. …
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