Question

hydration of an alkyne in the presence of h₂so₄ and hgso₄ leads to the formation of a(n) _______, which tautomerizes to form a(n) ______

Answer 1

The hydration of an alkyne in the presence of sulfuric acid and mercuric sulfate forms an enol that tautomerizes to a more stable ketone.

Step-by-step explanation:

The hydration of an alkyne in the presence of H₂SO₄ and HgSO₄ leads to the formation of an enol, which tautomerizes to form a ketone.

This reaction pathway starts with the addition of water (HOH) across the triple bond of the alkyne, resulting in an enol (a compound containing both a double bond and a hydroxyl group, -OH).

This enol is not stable and quickly rearranges, or tautomerizes, through a proton shift to form the more stable ketone. This rearrangement is driven by the predominance of the ketonic form over the enolic form because ketones are generally more thermodynamically stable than their corresponding enols.