Question
Question: Ethyl alcohol reacts with thionyl alcohol to give: (A) \( {\text{C}}{{\text{H}}_3}{\text{C}}{{\tex...
Ethyl alcohol reacts with thionyl alcohol to give:
(A) CH3CH2Cl+HCl
(B) CH3CH2Cl+H2O+SO2
(C) CH3CH2Cl+HCl+SO2
(D) CH3CH2Cl+SO2+Cl2
Solution
The reaction of ethyl alcohol with thionyl chloride gives an alkyl halide. One of the products formed is a well known mineral acid. A pungent smelling and toxic gas is also related during this process.
Complete step by step solution:
The molecular formula for the Ethyl alcohol is CH3CH2OH
The molecular formula for thionyl chloride is SOCl2 .
The reaction of ethyl alcohol with thionyl chloride is a very common reaction for the synthesis of alkyl halide. This is also considered as an efficient method because the sulphur dioxide forms in gaseous phase and escapes out from the system. The reaction of ethyl alcohol with thionyl chloride form ethyl chloride, sulphur dioxide and hydrogen chloride.
The reaction occurs as:
CH3CH2OH+SOCl2→CH3CH2Cl+HCl+SO2
Thus, the correct option is C.
Additional information
Ethyl alcohol or ethanol is a simple alcohol. It is a volatile liquid and is colourless and flammable. It is also used in alcoholic drinks and beverages. It can also be produced naturally by the action of yeast through the fermentation process. It is used as disinfectants in sanitizers to kill germs and used as an antiseptic. It is also used as a fuel. Ethanol is also used in antifreeze mixtures with water. This helps in decreasing the freezing point of water so that the water does not easily freeze out even at the lower temperatures and hence prevent the blocking of the engine.
Note:
Thionyl chloride should not be confused with sulfuryl chloride whose molecular formula is SO2Cl2 . They are often confused however they have entire different properties and uses.