Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Chemistry

Chapter

Organic: Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers

Question:

What happens when a tertiary alcohol is heated at temperature of 443 K in presence of phosphoric acid?

Options:

Ether is formed

Alkene is formed

Mixture of alkene and alcohol is formed

No reaction takes place

Correct Answer:

Alkene is formed

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (2) → Alkene is formed

Tertiary alcohols undergo dehydration when heated with concentrated phosphoric acid.

The –OH group is eliminated along with a hydrogen from an adjacent carbon to form a tertiary alkene via an E1 elimination mechanism.

At 443 K, the reaction favors alkene formation rather than ether formation.