A student wished to prepare ethylene gas by dehydration of ethanol at 140 C using sulfuric acid as the dehydrating agent. A low-boiling liquid was obtained instead of ethylene. What was the liquid, and how might the reaction conditions be changed to give ethylene?
I know that the low boiling liquid is diethyl ether by SN2. I'm just stuck on how the reaction conditions could be changed. It has to do with temp? But should it be lowered? so that the diethyl ether can't be formed?
2 answers
Why not boost the temperature to 170C?
Dehydration of alcohols to ethers takes place at about 140 degrees C. Dehydration of alcohols to alkenes takes place at 170-180. So I think the answer is to raise the T.
1 answer