In hydration of ethene, why doesn't ethene just sort of join with the phosphoric acid. I mean, when it gets protonated and there is a carbocation, why does it not join with the oxygen, with a negative charge, from the phosphoric acid? Like it would, if it reacted with H-Br.

Question

anonymous · Answer

the reaction under go different mechanism

abb0t · Answer

it would not be thermodynamically favorable.

abb0t · Answer

the phosphoric acid acts as the catalyst.