CHEMISTRY GUIDE

This page looks at the reaction of the carbon-carbon double bond in alkenes such as ethene with concentrated sulphuric acid. It includes the conversion of the product into an alcohol. The addition of sulphuric acid to alkenes The reaction with ethene Alkenes react with concentrated sulphuric acid in the cold to produce alkyl hydrogensulphates. Ethene reacts to give ethyl hydrogensulphate. The structure of the product molecule is sometimes written as CH 3 CH 2 HSO 4 , but the version in the equation is better because it shows how all the atoms are linked up. You may also find it written as CH 3 CH 2 OSO 3 H. Confused by all this? Don't be! All you need to do is to learn the structure of sulphuric acid. A hydrogen from the sulphuric acid joins on to one of the carbon atoms, and the rest joins on to the other one. Make ...