Why are mercuric ions needed during the hydration of alkynes?
A)They catalyze the reaction by reacting with the alkyne and making it more nucleophilic.
B)They catalyze the reaction by reacting with the alkyne and making it more electrophilic.
C)They make alkynes more soluble in water.
D)They increase the rate of addition reaction.
E)B and D

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mercuric ions (Hg2+) catalyze the hydration of alkynes by reacting with the alkyne to form a mercurinium ion intermediate, making the alkyne more electrophilic and thus more reactive towards water. This increases the rate of the addition reaction, leading to the formation of ketones or aldehydes depending on the structure of the starting alkyne.

Why Are Mercuric Ions Needed During the Hydration of Alkynes