Question

Acetone can be converted to 2-methylpropan-2-ol using:

• A. Grignard reagent
• B. Sodium hydride
• C. Hydrogen gas with Ni catalyst
• D. Sodium borohydride

Hint:

Grignard reagents are excellent nucleophiles and are commonly used to add to carbonyl groups to form alcohols. The reaction with acetone results in the formation of a tertiary alcohol.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Acetone (CH\(_3\)COCH\(_3\)) can be converted to 2-methylpropan-2-ol (tert-butyl alcohol) by reacting it with a Grignard reagent such as methyl magnesium bromide (CH\(_3\)MgBr). The Grignard reagent acts as a nucleophile and adds to the carbonyl carbon of acetone, resulting in the formation of a tertiary alcohol. - Sodium hydride (NaH) is a strong base used for deprotonation reactions, but it is not suitable for reducing acetone to a tertiary alcohol. - Hydrogen gas with Ni catalyst is typically used for hydrogenation reactions, but acetone does not undergo hydrogenation to form 2-methylpropan-2-ol. - Sodium borohydride (NaBH\(_4\)) is a mild reducing agent that reduces carbonyl compounds to alcohols, but it would not produce a tertiary alcohol from acetone. Therefore, the correct method is using a Grignard reagent to convert acetone to 2-methylpropan-2-ol.