Question 11.13:
Show how will you synthesize:
(i) 1-phenylethanol from a suitable alkene.
(ii) cyclohexylmethanol using an alkyl halide by an SN2 reaction.
(iii) pentan-1-ol using a suitable alkyl halide?
Answer:
(i) By acid-catalyzed hydration of ethylbenzene (styrene), 1-phenylethanol can be synthesized.
(ii) When chloromethylcyclohexane is treated with sodium hydroxide, cyclohexylmethanol is obtained.
(iii) When 1-chloropentane is treated with NaOH, pentan-1-ol is produced.
Question 11.14:
Give two reactions that show the acidic nature of phenol. Compare acidity of phenol with that of ethanol.
Answer:
The acidic nature of phenol can be represented by the following two reactions:
(i) Phenol reacts with sodium to give sodium phenoxide, liberating H2.
(ii) Phenol reacts with sodium hydroxide to give sodium phenoxide and water as by-products.
The acidity of phenol is more than that of ethanol. This is because after losing a proton, the phenoxide ion undergoes resonance and gets stabilized whereas ethoxide ion does not.
Question 11.15:
Explain why is ortho nitrophenol more acidic than ortho methoxyphenol?
Answer:
The nitro-group is an electron-withdrawing group. The presence of this group in the ortho position decreases the electron density in the O−H bond. As a result, it is easier to lose a proton. Also, the o-nitrophenoxide ion formed after the loss of protons is stabilized by resonance. Hence, ortho nitrophenol is a stronger acid.
On the other hand, methoxy group is an electron-releasing group. Thus, it increases the electron density in the O−H bond and hence, the proton cannot be given out easily.
For this reason, ortho-nitrophenol is more acidic than ortho-methoxyphenol.
Question 11.16:
Explain how does the −OH group attached to a carbon of benzene ring activate it towards electrophilic substitution?
Answer:
The −OH group is an electron-donating group. Thus, it increases the electron density in the benzene ring as shown in the given resonance structure of phenol.
As a result, the benzene ring is activated towards electrophilic substitution.
Question 11.17:
Give equations of the following reactions:
(i) Oxidation of propan-1-ol with alkaline KMnO4 solution.
(ii) Bromine in CS2 with phenol.
(iii) Dilute HNO3 with phenol.
(iv) Treating phenol with chloroform in presence of aqueous NaOH.
Answer:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Question 11.18:
Explain the following with an example.
(i) Kolbe’s reaction.
(ii) Reimer-Tiemann reaction.
(iii) Williamson ether synthesis.
(iv) Unsymmetrical ether.
Answer:
(i) Kolbe’s reaction:
When phenol is treated with sodium hydroxide, sodium phenoxide is produced. This sodium phenoxide when treated with carbon dioxide, followed by acidification, undergoes electrophilic substitution to give ortho-hydroxybenzoic acid as the main product. This reaction is known as Kolbe’s reaction.
(ii) Reimer-Tiemann reaction:
When phenol is treated with chloroform (CHCl3) in the presence of sodium hydroxide, a −CHO group is introduced at the ortho position of the benzene ring.
This reaction is known as the Reimer-Tiemann reaction.
The intermediate is hydrolyzed in the presence of alkalis to produce salicyclaldehyde.
(iii) Williamson ether synthesis:
Williamson ether synthesis is a laboratory method to prepare symmetrical and unsymmetrical ethers by allowing alkyl halides to react with sodium alkoxides.
This reaction involves SN2 attack of the alkoxide ion on the alkyl halide. Better results are obtained in case of primary alkyl halides.
If the alkyl halide is secondary or tertiary, then elimination competes over substitution.
(iv) Unsymmetrical ether:
An unsymmetrical ether is an ether where two groups on the two sides of an oxygen atom differ (i.e., have an unequal number of carbon atoms). For example: ethyl methyl ether (CH3−O−CH2CH3).
Question 11.19:
Write the mechanism of acid-catalysed dehydration of ethanol to yield ethene.
Answer:
The mechanism of acid dehydration of ethanol to yield ethene involves the following three steps:
Step 1:
Protonation of ethanol to form ethyl oxonium ion:
Step 2:
Formation of carbocation (rate determining step):
Step 3:
Elimination of a proton to form ethene:
The acid consumed in step 1 is released in Step 3. After the formation of ethene, it is removed to shift the equilibrium in a forward direction.
Question 11.20:
How are the following conversions carried out?
(i) Propene → Propan-2-ol
(ii) Benzyl chloride → Benzyl alcohol
(iii) Ethyl magnesium chloride → Propan-1-ol.
(iv) Methyl magnesium bromide → 2-Methylpropan-2-ol.
Answer:
(i) If propene is allowed to react with water in the presence of an acid as a catalyst, then propan-2-ol is obtained.
(ii) If benzyl chloride is treated with NaOH (followed by acidification) then benzyl alcohol is produced.
(iii) When ethyl magnesium chloride is treated with methanal, an adduct is the produced which gives propan-1-ol on hydrolysis.
(iv) When methyl magnesium bromide is treated with propane, an adduct is the product which gives 2-methylpropane-2-ol on hydrolysis.
Question 11.21:
Name the reagents used in the following reactions:
(i) Oxidation of a primary alcohol to carboxylic acid.
(ii) Oxidation of a primary alcohol to aldehyde.
(iii) Bromination of phenol to 2,4,6-tribromophenol.
(iv) Benzyl alcohol to benzoic acid.
(v) Dehydration of propan-2-ol to propene.
(vi) Butan-2-one to butan-2-ol.
Answer:
(i) Acidified potassium permanganate
(ii) Pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC)
(iii) Bromine water
(iv) Acidified potassium permanganate
(v) 85% phosphoric acid
(vi) NaBH4 or LiAlH4
Question 11.22:
Give reason for the higher boiling point of ethanol in comparison to methoxymethane.
Answer:
Ethanol undergoes intermolecular H-bonding due to the presence of −OH group, resulting in the association of molecules. Extra energy is required to break these hydrogen bonds. On the other hand, methoxymethane does not undergo H-bonding. Hence, the boiling point of ethanol is higher than that of methoxymethane.