1 Key Points

Organic Chemistry-III

1. Methanol [CH
3
OH] :
(a) Laboratory Preparation :
When methyl halides are boiled with aqueous sodium hydroxide,
hydrolysis takes place with the formation of methanol.
CH
3
Cl +NaOH (aq)
boiling
NaCl +CH
3
OH (methanol)
CH
3
Br +NaOH (aq)
boiling
NaBr +CH
3
OH (methanol)
(b) Industrial preparation :
When water gas ( a mixture of CO and H
2
) is mixed with
hydrogen and passed over heated catalyst (Cr
2
O
3
or ZnO) at
350 C, it reacts to form methanol.
[CO +H
2
] +H
2

2 3
Cr O ZnO
CH
3
OH [Methanol]
(c) Physical Properties :
(i) It is a colourless liquid, highly inflammable in nature and has
a strong alcoholic smell.
(ii) It is highly toxic in nature. Small quantities of it on
consumption damage liver and cause blindness. Large dose
of it can prove fatal.
(iii) It is soluble in water as well as organic solvents.
(d) Chemical properties :
(i) It reacts with sodium at room temperature to form sodium
methoxide and hydrogen gas.
2CH
3
OH +2Na 2CH
3
ONa +H
2
(g)
(ii) It reacts with phosphorus trichloride at room temperature to
form phosphorus acid and methyl chloride.
3CH
3
OH +PCl
3
H
3
PO
3
+3CH
3
Cl
(iii) It reacts with conc. H
2
SO
4
at 140C to form dimethyl ether.
2CH
3
OH +H
2
SO
4
(conc.)
140C
CH
3
OCH
3
+H
2
SO
4
.H
2
O
(iv) When vapours of methyl alcohol are passed over heated
copper oxide at 300C, it oxidised to formaldehyde.
CH
3
OH +CuO
300
Cu +HCHO +H
2
O

2 Key Points

(v) Acidified potassium dichromate oxidises methanol to formic
acid.
CH
3
OH +2[O]
2 2 7
Acidified
K Cr O
HCOOH +H
2
O
(e) Uses
(i) It is used as solvent in paints and varnishes.
(ii) It is used for making methylated spirit.
(iii) It is used for making useful organic compounds, such as
formaldehyde and formic acid.
(iv) It is used as antifreeze in automobile radiators.
2. Ethyl alcohol or Ethanol [C
2
H
5
OH] :
(a) Laboratory Preparation :
(i) When ethyl halides are boiled with aqueous sodium
hydroxide, they hydrolyse to form ethanol.
C
2
H
5
Cl +NaOH (aq) NaCl +C
2
H
5
OH (ethanol)
C
2
H
5
Br +NaOH (aq) NaBr +C
2
H
5
OH (ethanol)
(b) Industrial Preparation :
(i) Ethene is first dissolved in conc. H
2
SO
4
under 30 atoms.
pressure at 80C to form ethyl hydrogen sulphate which on
boiling with water hydrolyse to form ethyl alcohol.
C
2
H
4
+H
2
SO
4
(conc.)
30 atoms 80C
C
2
H
5
.HSO
4

C
2
H
5
. HSO
4
+H
2
O H
2
SO
4
+C
2
H
5
OH
(ii) From starch or molasses :
When starch [C
6
H
10
O
5
)
n
is warmed with malt extract at 60C,
the enzyme diatase present in it converts starch to maltose, a
sugar solution.
2(C
6
H
10
O
5
)
n
+(H
2
O)
n

Diatase
(C
12
H
22
O
11
)
n
[maltose]
The maltose is mixed with yeast containing maltase and
zymase enzymes and allowed to ferment for 3-4 days, when
the following reaction takes place with the formation of
ethanol.
C
12
H
22
O
11
+H
2
O
Maltase
2C
6
H
12
O
6

C
6
H
12
O
6

Zymase
30C
2C
2
H
5
OH +2CO
2


3 Key Points

The ethanol is separated from mixture by fractional
distillation.
(c) Physical Properties :
(i) It is colourless, inflammable liquid having a strong alcoholic
smell.
(ii) If consumed in larger quantities over condrable time, it can
damage liver and kidneys.
(iii) It is soluble in water and organic solvents.
(d) Chemical Properties :
(i) It reacts with sodium at room temperature to form sodium
ethoxide and hydrogen gas.
2C
2
H
5
OH +2Na 2C
2
H
5
ONa +H
2
(g)
(ii) When ethanol vapours are passed over heated copper oxide,
it is oxidised to acetaldehyde
C
2
H
5
OH +CuO
300C
Cu +H
2
O +CH
3
CHO
(iii) When ethyl alcohol is treated with acidified potassium
dichromate, it is oxidised to acetic acid.
C
2
H
5
OH +2[O]
2 2 7
Acidified
K Cr O
CH
3
COOH +H
2
O
(iv) When a mixture of ethanol and conc. H
2
SO
4
is heated at
170C, it forms ethene gas.
C
2
H
5
OH
2 4
Conc H SO
170C
C
2
H
4
+H
2
O
3. The continuous use of alcohol damages liver and kidneys.
4. Ethyl alcohol which is used for industrial purposes is denatured
(made unfit for drinking) by adding poisonous agents like pyridine,
methyl alcohol, copper sulphate, etc.