In: Chemistry
Can someone please explain the acid cleavage reaction in detail? I know it's SN2 if its a primary or secondary, and the less hindered carbon is attacked. I know SN1 occurs if a carbon is tertiary, but I don't know how these reactions look. Please help!
Here the acidic cleavage of ethers which follows mainly (SN2) mechanism is explained:
When ethers are treated with strong acid in the presence of a nucleophile, they can be cleaved to give alcohols and an alkyl halides. If ether is on primary C this may occur through an SN2 pathway.
Very commonly used acid are HI, H2SO4+H2O (gives both alcohols).
General reaction,
Examples:
Mechanism:
==========================XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=========================