Final answer:
The correct answer is option 4. The most exothermic hydrogenation would occur with 2-methyl-2-pentene because it has the most substituted double bond, leading it to release the most heat when converted to an alkane.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked which of the following alkenes: 4-methyl-1-pentene, 2-methyl-1-pentene, 4-methyl-2-pentene, or 2-methyl-2-pentene undergoes the most exothermic hydrogenation upon treatment with H2/Pd. Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction where hydrogen is added across the double bond of an alkene in the presence of a catalyst, typically platinum (Pt) or palladium (Pd), transforming the alkene into an alkane. Generally, the more substituted the double bond (having more alkyl groups attached to the double bonded carbons), the more exothermic the hydrogenation reaction is, because substituted alkenes are more stable than unsubstituted alkenes.
Of the given options, 2-methyl-2-pentene has the most substituted double bond, meaning it has the highest number of alkyl groups directly attached to the carbons of the double bond. As such, it would undergo the most exothermic hydrogenation reaction upon treatment with H2/Pd, releasing the most heat in the process of being converted into an alkane.