Question

Write chemical reactions for the following conversions: i. Acetic acid into acetic anhydride ii. Acetic acid into ethyl alcohol Write IUPAC name and structure of methylphenylamine.

Hint:

In organic chemistry, always ensure that the reagents are suitable for the transformation you want to achieve (e.g., using \(PCl_5\) for dehydration, and \(LiAlH_4\) for reductions).

Answer 1

i. Acetic Acid into Acetic Anhydride:
Acetic acid can be converted into acetic anhydride by dehydration in the presence of a dehydrating agent such as phosphorus pentachloride (\(PCl_5\)): \[ 2CH_3COOH \xrightarrow{PCl_5} (CH_3CO)_2O + 2HCl \] This forms acetic anhydride. ii. Acetic Acid into Ethyl Alcohol:
Acetic acid can be reduced to ethyl alcohol (ethanol) using reducing agents such as lithium aluminium hydride (\(LiAlH_4\)): \[ CH_3COOH \xrightarrow{LiAlH_4} CH_3CH_2OH \] This is the reduction of acetic acid to ethanol. iii. IUPAC Name and Structure of Methylphenylamine:
The IUPAC name of methylphenylamine is N-methylaniline. Its structure is as follows: \[ \text{C}_6\text{H}_5\text{NHCH}_3 \]