Question

Convert aniline to:
(I) benzene
(II) sulphanilic acid

Hint:

Remember, sulfonation reactions typically require fuming sulfuric acid, while reduction of aniline to benzene often involves a mild reducing agent like iron.

Answer 1

(I) To convert aniline to benzene, the process involves the removal of the amino group (-NH\(_2\)) by a suitable reagent. This is generally achieved by the **reduction** of aniline using reducing agents like iron and hydrochloric acid, or by using other reducing agents like tin and hydrochloric acid. The final product is benzene.
(II) To convert aniline to sulphanilic acid, aniline undergoes sulfonation. In this process, aniline reacts with fuming sulphuric acid (H\(_2\)SO\(_4\)) or oleum, where the amino group (-NH\(_2\)) of aniline gets sulfonated, resulting in sulphanilic acid (C\(_6\)H\(_4\)NH\(_2\)SO\(_3\)H).