Question

Alcohols are very useful starting materials for the productionof many different compounds. The followingconversions, starting with 1-butanol, can be carried outin two or more steps. Show the steps (reactants/catalysts)you would follow to carry out the conversions, drawingthe formula for the organic product in each step. Foreach step, a major product must be produced.(Hint:In the presence of, an alcoholis converted into an alkene and water. This is the exactreverse of the reaction of adding water to an alkene toform an alcohol.)

a. 1-butanol → butane

b. 1-butanol → 2-butanone

Short answer

a.

b.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1:Reverse reaction of adding water to an alkene to form an alcohol

(a)

The first reaction is the reaction of water elimination using acid as a catalyst. The product is 1-butene and water.

The second equation shows addition reaction (addition of hydrogen) using platinum as a catalyst. The product is butane.

Illustration of reaction

Illustration of reaction of adding hydrogen,

Hence, The first partial reaction presents elimination of water giving alkene as a product 1-butene. The second partial reaction presents addition of hydrogen giving alkane as a product butane.

Step 3:Reverse reaction of adding water to an alkene to form an alcohol

(b) The first reaction is a reaction of water elimination using acidity medium. The second reaction is the reaction of water addition where the double bond is broken down and –OH and –H groups are added to the carbon atoms. This gives two products, 2-butanol (mainly) and 1-butanol. The third reaction is a reaction of oxidation where the products are water and 2-butanone. See the picture below.

Illustration of reaction  

Illustration of reaction of adding water,

Formation of 2-butanone

Hence, this reaction has three steps. The first one is eliminations of water where 1-butene is formed. The second one is the addition of water where 1-butanol and 2-butanol are created. And the last reaction is oxidation where 2-butanon is created.