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What molecule acts as a nucleophile during an acetal hydrolysis reaction?Select answer from the options belowwater (H2O)hydroxide (OH-)alcohol (ROH)alkoxide (RO-)

Question

What molecule acts as a nucleophile during an acetal hydrolysis reaction?Select answer from the options belowwater (H2O)hydroxide (OH-)alcohol (ROH)alkoxide (RO-)

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Solution

In an acetal hydrolysis reaction, the molecule that acts as a nucleophile is water (H2O).

Here's a step-by-step explanation:

  1. Acetal hydrolysis is a reaction where an acetal is converted back into a carbonyl (aldehyde or ketone) and two alcohols. This reaction is typically catalyzed by an acid.

  2. In the first step of this reaction, the acid protonates one of the oxygen atoms in the acetal. This makes the acetal more electrophilic (electron-loving), and therefore more susceptible to attack by a nucleophile.

  3. The nucleophile in this reaction is water. A molecule of water attacks the electrophilic carbon atom in the protonated acetal, forming a tetrahedral intermediate.

  4. In the final steps of the reaction, the tetrahedral intermediate loses a molecule of alcohol and then gets deprotonated by another molecule of water, resulting in the formation of a carbonyl and two molecules of alcohol.

So, the correct answer is water (H2O).

This problem has been solved

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