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| Author | Chemistry |
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Ok I had a thing in my mind
What happens if I had Zn (a good reducing agent) to ethanol , will I be able to get ETHANE? | Zinc while a good reducing agent for things like transition metals is not sufficient for an alcohol reduction to an alkane. Zinc is often used since it is strong enough to reduce the transition metal, but sufficiently cheap and slow to allow you to see the intermediate colours and to be safe. A stronger straight metallic reducing agent like sodium will not reduce the alcohol, only drive off the H of the OH. Even stronger reducing agents like LiALH4 or NaBH4 are still not sufficient to reduce an alcohol to an alkane.
What you need is some proper nasty stuff like red phosphorus.
See this
https://www.transtutors.com/chemistry-homework-help/hydrocarbons/reduction-of-alcohols.aspx | Holy crap =/ , I messed up One question :/
Thanks Miles! |
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