When an unsymmetrical alkene undergoes electrophilic addition you often get a major and minor product. What would the major product be when propene reacts with hydrochloric acid? Why is this?
The major product would be 2-chloropropane whilst the minor product would be 1-chloropropane. This is because the more stable secondary carbonation is formed as an intermediate. This is easy to show with a mechanism. The secondary carbocation is stabilised by the two neighbouring carbons pushing electron density towards it. This is known as the inductive effect .
JB
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