Predict the major product of the following reaction:

Step-by-step solution

The given reaction involves the acid-catalyzed dehydration of benzocyclobutenol. Concentrated H₂SO₄ with heat ( ) acts as a dehydrating agent. The -OH group is protonated by the acid to form a good leaving group, -O⁺H₂ . A water molecule is eliminated, generating a benzylic carbocation on the four-membered ring. A proton ( H^+ ) is then eliminated from the adjacent methylene carbon atom in the cyclobutane ring. This elimination results in the formation of a carbon-carbon double bond, yielding benzocyclobutadiene as