Protonation of alcohols to give oxonium ions
Description: Addition of a strong acid to an alcohol leads to the formation of its conjugate acid (called an “oxonium ion”).
The rest of this page is available to MOC Members only.
To get access to this page, plus over 1500 quizzes, the Reaction Encyclopedia, Org 1 / Org 2 summary sheets, and flashcards, sign up here for only 30 cents/ day!
can the protonated oh2 leave a primary carbon? or will this only work for something like E1/E2/SN2
Yes, but not by itself. OH2 can be a good leaving group in an SN2 reaction, for example this is seen in the formation of symmetrical ethers by refluxing ethanol with H2SO4. Not the world’s best reaction, but still, it works.