Identify the major product of the following reaction:

Step-by-step solution

In the presence of an acid like 20 % H ₂ SO ₄ , tert-butyl alcohol gets protonated and subsequently loses a water molecule to form a stable tert-butyl carbocation. HO - C ( CH ₃)₃ + H ^+ H ₂ O ^+- C ( CH ₃)₃ ( CH ₃)₃ C ^+ + H ₂ O Phenol undergoes electrophilic aromatic substitution with this carbocation. The - OH group on the benzene ring is strongly activating and directs the incoming electrophile to the ortho and para positions. Because the tert-butyl carbocation is very bulky, it experiences significant steric h