NEET2026ChemistryChapterActual
Given below are two statements: Statement I: 2-Methylpropan-2-ol produces turbidity immediately when treated with a mixture of concentrated HCl and anhydrous ZnCl₂ at room temperature. Statement II: The cleavage of the C-O bond during this reaction follows an S_N2 pathway, making sterically unhindered alcohols the most reactive. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options
Options
- ABoth Statement I and Statement II are correct.
- BBoth Statement I and Statement II are incorrect.
- CStatement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.
- DStatement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.
Correct answer
C. Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.
Step-by-step solution
Statement I is correct because 2-methylpropan-2-ol is a tertiary alcohol. Tertiary alcohols react immediately with Lucas reagent (a mixture of concentrated HCl and anhydrous ZnCl₂ ) at room temperature to form insoluble alkyl chlorides, which appear as turbidity. Statement II is incorrect because the reaction of tertiary alcohols with Lucas reagent proceeds via an S_N1 mechanism, which involves the formation of a stable tertiary carbocation. Therefore, tertiary alcohols are the most reactive, not sterically unhinde