Question

how to convert ethyl alcohol into n butanol

Answer 1

Dear Student,

Ethyl alcohol can be first converted to ethyl chloride by reacting ethyl alcohol with SOCl₂. The by reacting ethyl chloride with sodium, Wurtz reaction will occur which will convert it to n-butane. Now, chlorination of butane followed by hydrolysis will give n-butanol.

${\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{OH}\underset{∆}{\overset{{\mathrm{SOCl}}_2}{\to }}{\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{Cl}\underset{\mathrm{dry}\mathrm{ether}}{\overset{2\mathrm{Na}}{\to }}{\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{CH}}_3\underset{\mathrm{hv}}{\overset{{\mathrm{Cl}}_2}{\to }}{\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{Cl}\stackrel{\mathrm{NaOH}}{\to }{\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{CH}}_2{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{OH}$