Question

Outline, using chemical equations, the synthesis of the following

from easily available petrochemicals and inorganic

starting materials.

(a)Vinyl acetate\(\left( {{\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_3}{\rm{COOCH = C}}{{\rm{H}}_2}} \right)\)

(b)Formamide\(\left( {{\rm{HCON}}{{\rm{H}}_2}} \right)\)

(c)1,2-Difluoroethane

Short answer

1. \({\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_3}{\rm{COOH + C}}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{ = C}}{{\rm{H}}_2} + \dfrac{1}{2}{{\rm{O}}_2} \to {\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_3}{\rm{COOCH = C}}{{\rm{H}}_2} + {{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}\)
2. \({\rm{HCOOH + N}}{{\rm{H}}_3} \to {\rm{HCON}}{{\rm{H}}_2} + {{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}\)
3. \({\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{ = C}}{{\rm{H}}_2} + {{\rm{F}}_2} \to {\rm{FC}}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{ - FC}}{{\rm{H}}_2}\)

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: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 a water molecule.

\({\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_3}{\rm{COOH + C}}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{ = C}}{{\rm{H}}_2} + \dfrac{1}{2}{{\rm{O}}_2} \to {\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_3}{\rm{COOCH = C}}{{\rm{H}}_2} + {{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}\)

Synthesis of formamide

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

\({\rm{HCOOH + N}}{{\rm{H}}_3} \to {\rm{HCON}}{{\rm{H}}_2} + {{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}\)

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.

\({\rm{C}}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{ = C}}{{\rm{H}}_2} + {{\rm{F}}_2} \to {\rm{FC}}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{ - FC}}{{\rm{H}}_2}\)