Which of the following alcohols is dehydrated most readily with conc. $\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4} ?$
Which of the following alcohols is dehydrated most readily with conc. $\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4} ?$
Solution
The reaction involves the formation of carbocation as intermediate. Hence more the stability of the carbocation, more will be the rate of reaction. Let us draw the structure of the corresponding carbocation and observe the relative stability of the four benzyl carbocations. The relative stability of the four carbocations is
