Please let me know what would be the product when 2-ethyl-2,3-dimethyloxirane reacts with HBr ??????

1 Answer
Sep 16, 2015

2-Bromo-3-methylpentan-3-ol
or
2-Bromo-3-methyl-3-pentanol

Explanation:

I would suggest the following mechanism:
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Step 1: Oxygen of the epoxy group will attack the hydrogen of the HBr and will form Br^- and the intermediate which has a good leaving group R_2OH^+.

Step 2: Br^- which is a nucleophile will attack the 2^(nd) degree carbon in an SN_2 mechanism to give the final product.