Question

Outline, using chemical equations, the synthesis of the followingfrom easily available petrochemicals and inorganicstarting materials.

(a)Vinyl acetate $\left({\text{CH}}_3{\text{COOCH = CH}}_2\right)$

(b)Formamide $\left({\text{HCONH}}_2\right)$

(c)1,2-Difluoroethane

Short answer

1. ${\text{CH}}_3{\text{COOH + CH}}_2{\text{= CH}}_2+\frac{1}{2}{\text{O}}_2\to {\text{CH}}_3{\text{COOCH = CH}}_2+{\text{H}}_2\text{O}$
2. ${\text{HCOOH + NH}}_3\to {\text{HCONH}}_2+{\text{H}}_2\text{O}$
3. ${\text{CH}}_2{\text{= CH}}_2+{\text{F}}_2\to {\text{FCH}}_2{\text{- FCH}}_2$
   

Step-by-step solution

Petrochemicals

Petrochemicals are the derivatives of hydrocarbon like chemical compounds. These hydrocarbons are derivatives of crude oil and natural gas. Generally, when petroleum is refined, the chemical products obtained are known as petrochemicals. A few examples are olefins (butadiene, ethene, butane, propene etc), aromatics, etc.

Step 2: Synthesis of vinyl acetate

We can use the petrochemicals ethene and acetic acid. When we treat these petrochemicals with the inorganic starting material, oxygen gas, it produces vinyl acetate and water molecule.

${\text{CH}}_3{\text{COOH + CH}}_2{\text{= CH}}_2+\frac{1}{2}{\text{O}}_2\to {\text{CH}}_3{\text{COOCH = CH}}_2+{\text{H}}_2\text{O}$

Synthesis of formamide

Formamide can be synthesized from petrochemical formic acid reacted with inorganic compound ammonia to produce formamide and water molecule.

${\text{HCOOH + NH}}_3\to {\text{HCONH}}_2+{\text{H}}_2\text{O}$

Synthesis of 1, 2-difluoroethane

When ethene reacts with fluorine gas, it produces 1, 2-difluoroethane. The petrochemical used in this synthesis is ethene and the inorganic starting material is fluorine gas.

${\text{CH}}_2{\text{= CH}}_2+{\text{F}}_2\to {\text{FCH}}_2{\text{- FCH}}_2$