Final answer:
The production of isopropanol from propylene through boiling, acidified water involves a two-step hydration mechanism: first, the protonation of the double bond to form a carbocation, followed by the nucleophilic attack by water to form isopropanol.
Step-by-step explanation:
To produce isopropanol from propylene using boiling, acidified water involves a process known as hydration. This reaction is an addition process where water is the nucleophile added across the double bond of the propylene molecule. In comparing this to the example of large quantities of ethanol being synthesized from the addition reaction of water with ethylene using an acid as a catalyst, a similar mechanism is at play for the formation of isopropanol from propylene.
There are two main steps in the mechanism:
- Protonation of the double bond to form a carbocation intermediate.
- Nucleophilic attack by water on the carbocation to form isopropanol.
These steps are accelerated in the presence of an acid catalyst which helps the formation of the carbocation intermediate. After the intermediate is formed, water which acts as a nucleophile, attacks the positively charged carbon to form isopropanol. The overall type of reaction is similar to that seen in the conversion of isopropyl alcohol to acetone, but in this instance, we are stopping at the alcohol stage and not proceeding to the ketone.