ChemTopper Free Chemistry Help

Chemistry Homework Help => Organic Chemistry => Topic started by: amimi on January 14, 2026, 05:33:53 PM

Title: pinacol rearrangement vicinal diol H2SO4 major minor product
Post by: amimi on January 14, 2026, 05:33:53 PM
Hello! I think my thinking is right, but I would love some clarification for this question. I think major product has two alkenes, but wasn't sure how to go about the other OH, if it is internal nucelophilic attack, for examplequestion.png
Title: Re: predicting products/intermediates
Post by: amimi on January 14, 2026, 05:43:40 PM
I originally thought one product would be result of formation good LG, then E1 elimination to alkene. When tertiary carbocation forms, could other OH group attack electrophile?
Title: Re: pinacol rearrangement vicinal diol H2SO4 major minor product
Post by: uma on January 15, 2026, 05:08:41 AM
pinacol rearrangement.jpg


 This is different approach, but the ideas are the same as what we did earlier.

Protonation of the alcohol converts it into a good leaving group.

H₂O leaves, forming a carbocation. This carbocation then undergoes rearrangement to give a more stable carbocation adjacent to the oxygen of the remaining –OH (stabilized by lone pair of oxygen). During this process, ring expansion can occur.

Ring-expansion preference:

If the rearrangement would expand a 6-membered ring to a 7-membered ring, that pathway is generally less favored (more strain / less favorable geometry).

If the rearrangement would expand a 5-membered ring to a 6-membered ring, that pathway is favored because a 6-membered ring is typically more stable than a 5-membered ring.