Question:

The reagent which can do the conversion $CH _{3} COOH \longrightarrow CH _{3}- CH _{2}- OH $ is

Updated On: Nov 14, 2025

$LiAIH_4$ / ether
$H_2, Pt$
$NaBH_4$
$Na$ and $C_2H_5OH$

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The Correct Option is A

Approach Solution - 1

To determine which reagent can convert acetic acid $CH_3COOH$ to ethanol $CH_3CH_2OH$, we need to consider the properties and reactions of each option:

$LiAlH_4$ / ether: Lithium aluminium hydride is a powerful reducing agent used to reduce carboxylic acids to primary alcohols. In this case, $CH_3COOH$ can be reduced to $CH_3CH_2OH$ using $LiAlH_4$ in an ether solvent. Thus, this reagent is suitable for the conversion.
$H_2, Pt$: Hydrogenation with a platinum catalyst typically reduces alkenes and alkynes, but it is not effective for reducing carboxylic acids directly to alcohols.
$NaBH_4$: Sodium borohydride is a milder reducing agent compared to $LiAlH_4$. It is not strong enough to reduce carboxylic acids to alcohols; it reduces aldehydes and ketones instead.
$Na$ and $C_2H_5OH$: Sodium in ethanol generally serves as a base, which can deprotonate acids but does not perform the conversion of an acid to an alcohol.

Given the above analysis, the reagent capable of converting acetic acid to ethanol is $LiAlH_4$ in ether. This reaction proceeds as follows:

The carboxylic acid (acetic acid, $CH_3COOH$) receives $H^−$ ions from $LiAlH_4$, resulting in reduction to ethanol ($CH_3CH_2OH$).

Thus, the correct answer is $LiAlH_4$ / ether.

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Approach Solution -2

$\underset{\text{Ethanoic acid}}{CH _{3} COOH} \xrightarrow{\text { LiAlH }_{4} / \text { ether }} \underset{\text{Ethanol}}{CH _{3} CH _{2} OH}$

The reagent that can convert acetic acid (${CH_3COOH}$) to ethanol (${CH_3CH_2OH}$) is a reducing agent. One commonly used reducing agent for this conversion is lithium aluminum hydride (${LiAlH_4}$) or sodium borohydride (${NaBH_4}$).

The reaction with lithium aluminum hydride (${LiAlH_4}$) can be represented as follows:

${CH_3COOH}+{4LiAlH_4}\rightarrow{CH_3CH_2OH}+{Al(OH)_3}+{4LiH}$

This reaction reduces the carboxylic acid functional group (${COOH}$) of acetic acid to an alcohol functional group (${CH_3CH_2OH}$) in ethanol.

It's important to note that this reaction is typically carried out under specific conditions, and caution should be exercised when working with reactive chemical reagents.

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Concepts Used:

Alkanes

In organic chemistry, an alkane, or paraffin (a historical trivial name that also has other meanings), is an acyclic saturated hydrocarbon. In other words, an alkane consists of hydrogen and carbon atoms arranged in a tree structure in which all the carbon-carbon bonds are single. Alkanes have the general chemical formula CnH2n+2. The alkanes range in complexity from the simplest case of methane (CH4), where n = 1 (sometimes called the parent molecule), to arbitrarily large and complex molecules, like pentacontane (C50H102) or 6-ethyl-2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl) octane, an isomer of tetradecane (C14H30).

Alkane as saturated hydrocarbons:

Alkanes are a series of compounds that contain carbon and hydrogen atoms with single covalent bonds. These are known as saturated hydrocarbons. This group of compounds consists of carbon and hydrogen atoms with single covalent bonds. Also comprises a homologous series having a molecular formula of CnH2n+2.
Alkanes are the simplest family of hydrocarbons. They contain only carbon and hydrogen. Each carbon atom forms four bonds and each hydrogen atom forms one bond. Chemists use line-angle formulas because they are easier and faster to draw than condensed structural formulas. Structural formulas for alkanes can be written in yet another condensed form.

Properties of Alkanes:

1. The Solubility of Alkanes

Due to very little difference of electronegativity between carbon and hydrogen and covalent nature of C-C bond or C-H bond, alkanes are generally non-polar molecules.As we generally observe, polar molecules are soluble in polar solvents whereas non-polar molecules are soluble in non-polar solvents. Hence, alkanes are hydrophobic in nature that is, alkanes are insoluble in water.

2. The Boiling Point of Alkanes

As the intermolecular Van Der Waals forces increase with the increase of the molecular size or the surface area of the molecule we observe:The straight-chain alkanes are observed to have a higher boiling point in comparison to their structural isomers.

3. The Melting Point of Alkanes

The melting point of alkanes follow the same trend as their boiling point that is, it increases with increase in molecular weight.