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Home Q & A Board Science-Related Homework Help Chemistry (Moderator: Laser_3)
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tleeftw tleeftw
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11 years ago
I'm studying organic chemistry and in my notes it says that for an alkene to become an alcohol, H2O is added and also H2SO4 as a catalyst.
I understand the H2O part, obviously that's required to make an alcohol - but why the H2SO4? I thought it was a drying agent - wouldn't it contradict the addition of the water? Very confused!
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#1
11 years ago
the H2SO4 is a catalyst. (lowers activation energy to help cross transition state).

Putting H2SO4 with water makes H3O+. by the end of the reaction. The conj. base (OSO3H) gets the H becomes H2SO4 again.
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