E1 or E2 mechanism when describing dehydration of ethanol? (1 Viewer)

sodiumbromate

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I was wondering if the correct way to describe the dehydration process was with the E1 or E2 mechanism; different sources state different things.
  • E1 would be the removal of the hydroxyl group as it is protonated by the acid to form a carbocation and water, then the carbocation loses a proton to the acid and the subsequent unbonded electrons on each carbon results in a double bond.
  • E2 would be a single transition which skips the formation of a carbocation. Ethanol is protonated by the acid and water is removed, whilst a hydrogen ion on the beta carbon is removed, resulting in the two subsequent unbonded electrons on the carbons forming a covalent bond
 

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