What characterizes tertiary alcohols in terms of their reaction with cHCL/ZNCL2?

Tertiary alcohols are characterized by their ability to react quickly with hydrogen chloride in the presence of zinc chloride, which is a reagent commonly used to convert alcohols into alkyl chlorides. This reaction occurs through the formation of a carbocation intermediate, which is favored in tertiary alcohols due to the stability provided by the surrounding carbon groups.

When a tertiary alcohol mixes with concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) and zinc chloride (ZnCl2), it results in the rapid formation of the corresponding alkyl chloride. The cloudiness observed is due to the formation of a precipitate or emulsion, indicating that the reaction is happening quickly. This is a key feature of tertiary alcohols, as their structure makes them more reactive than primary or secondary alcohols under the same conditions.

Thus, the fast cloudiness in the solution implies that a reaction is proceeding efficiently, highlighting the reactivity of tertiary alcohols with this specific reagent combination.