Dehydration of ethylene glycol in presence of concentration `H_2SO_4` will give

Options

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Answer

To solve the question regarding the dehydration of ethylene glycol in the presence of concentrated H₂SO₄, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Structure of Ethylene Glycol:**
Ethylene glycol has the formula C₂H₆O₂, which can be represented as HO-CH₂-CH₂-OH. It contains two hydroxyl (–OH) groups.

2. **Understanding Dehydration:**
Dehydration refers to the removal of water (H₂O) from a compound. In this case, we will remove water from ethylene glycol.

3. **Protonation of Hydroxyl Groups:**
When concentrated H₂SO₄ is added, it donates protons (H⁺) to the hydroxyl groups of ethylene glycol. This makes the hydroxyl groups more reactive.

4. **Formation of a Good Leaving Group:**
The protonation of the hydroxyl group converts it into a better leaving group (water). This leads to the formation of a carbocation intermediate.

5. **Nucleophilic Attack:**
The remaining hydroxyl group (–OH) can act as a nucleophile and attack the electrophilic carbon of the carbocation, leading to the elimination of a water molecule (H₂O).

6. **Formation of Ether:**
The product formed after the elimination of water is an ether. The structure of the ether formed from ethylene glycol is diethyl ether, which can be represented as CH₂=CH-O-CH₂-CH₂.

7. **Final Product:**
The final product of the dehydration of ethylene glycol in the presence of concentrated H₂SO₄ is ethylene oxide (or oxirane), which is a cyclic ether.

### Conclusion:
The dehydration of ethylene glycol in the presence of concentrated H₂SO₄ yields ethylene oxide (C₂H₄O).