Question

An equimolar quantities of ethanol and propanol is heated with conc. $H_{2}S{O}_4$. The product formed is /are?

• A. $C_2{H}_{5}O{C}_2{H}_5$
• B. $C_3{H}_{7}O{C}_3{H}_7$
• C. $C_2{H}_{5}O{C}_3{H}_7$
• D. all of these

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

all of these

Alcohol heated in the presence of conc. $H_{2}S{O}_4$ results in the formation of ether by removal of one mole of water as:

$ROH\stackrel{H_{2}S{O}_4}{\to }R-O-R$

Thus an equimolar quantities of ethanol and propanol is heated with conc. $H_{2}S{O}_4$ will be:

$C_2{H}_{5}OH+C_3{H}_{7}OH\stackrel{H_{2}S{O}_4}{\to }{C}_2{H}_5-O-C_2{H}_5+C_3{H}_7-O-C_3{H}_7+C_2{H}_5-O-C_3{H}_7$

The product formed are $C_2{H}_{5}O{C}_2{H}_5,C_3{H}_{7}O{C}_3{H}_7,C_2{H}_{5}O{C}_3{H}_7$