Question

Which of the following compounds would be hydrolyzed by aqueous KOH most easily?

• A. \(\text{CH}_2 = \text{CH} - \text{Br}\)
• B. \(\text{CH}_3 - \text{CH}_2 - \text{Br}\)
• C. \(\text{CH}_3 - \text{CH} - \text{CH}_3\)
• D. \(\text{CH}_2 = \text{CH} - \text{CH}_2 - \text{Br}\)

Hint:

When hydrolyzing halides with aqueous KOH, compounds with alkene groups (as in option A) react more readily in substitution reactions due to their instability.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Vinyl bromide (\(\text{CH}_2 = \text{CH} - \text{Br}\)), a vinyl halide, is the compound most readily hydrolyzed by aqueous KOH (Option A). This is because the halide is attached to a double bond. Aqueous KOH typically facilitates nucleophilic substitution or elimination. In this scenario, substitution occurs more easily than it would with other alkyl halides due to the inherent instability of vinyl halides. Thus, \(\text{CH}_2 = \text{CH} - \text{Br}\) exhibits the highest hydrolysis rate among the given options.