Answer to Question #94012 in Organic Chemistry for Ogbonna John

Question

Which of this compound will readily undergo dehydrochlorination, 2chlorobutane, chloropropane, 2 chloro-2- methyl butane, what infoms your answer?

Answer 1

The activity of the haloalkane in the dehydrochlorination reactions depends on the position of the halogen atom in the molecule. The haloalkane with halogen atom near tertiary carbon atom will form a more stable transition state and more stable final product during a reaction than haloalkane with halogen atom attached to the secondary or moreover primary carbon. In our case, reaction rate will decrease in the row 2-chloro-2-methylbutane>2-chlorobutane>chloropropane.

So 2-chloro-2-methylbutane is the most active towards dehydrochlorination reactions.