What is the major product obtained from the reaction of 2-ethyloxirane with each of the following reagents?
a. 0.1MHCl 
b. CH₃OH/HCl

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the structure of 2-ethyloxirane. It is an epoxide, which is a three-membered cyclic ether. The ring is highly strained, making it reactive towards nucleophiles and acids.
2. Step 2: For part (a), when 2-ethyloxirane reacts with 0.1M HCl, the reaction proceeds via acid-catalyzed ring opening. The proton (H⁺) from HCl protonates the oxygen atom of the epoxide, increasing the electrophilicity of the carbon atoms in the ring.
3. Step 3: After protonation, the nucleophilic chloride ion (Cl⁻) attacks the more substituted carbon of the epoxide ring (following Markovnikov's rule), leading to the formation of a halohydrin. This step involves a regioselective ring-opening mechanism.
4. Step 4: For part (b), when 2-ethyloxirane reacts with CH₃OH in the presence of HCl, the reaction also proceeds via acid-catalyzed ring opening. The oxygen atom of the epoxide is protonated by H⁺, making the ring more susceptible to nucleophilic attack.
5. Step 5: The nucleophile in this case is methanol (CH₃OH). Methanol attacks the more substituted carbon of the epoxide ring (again following Markovnikov's rule), leading to the formation of a β-methoxy alcohol as the major product.

Key Concepts

Epoxide Reactivity

Epoxides, or oxiranes, are three-membered cyclic ethers that are highly reactive due to the strain in their ring structure. This strain makes them susceptible to nucleophilic attack, allowing them to undergo ring-opening reactions. The nature of the nucleophile and the reaction conditions can significantly influence the outcome of the reaction, leading to different products.

Acid-Catalyzed Ring Opening

In the presence of an acid, such as HCl, epoxides can undergo ring-opening through protonation of the oxygen atom, which increases the electrophilicity of the carbon atoms in the epoxide. This process typically leads to the formation of a more stable carbocation intermediate, allowing for nucleophiles to attack and open the ring, resulting in the formation of alcohols or other functional groups.

Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions

Nucleophilic substitution reactions involve the replacement of a leaving group by a nucleophile. In the context of the reaction with 2-ethyloxirane, the nucleophile (like CH3OH in the presence of HCl) attacks the more substituted carbon of the epoxide after the ring has been opened, leading to the formation of a product that retains the original carbon skeleton while introducing new functional groups.