How will you distinguish between chlorobenzene and benzyl chloride?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: Chlorobenzene and benzyl chloride can be differentiated using their reactivity with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or Finkelstein reaction. Chlorobenzene does not react with sodium hydroxide or undergo Finkelstein reaction, whereas benzyl chloride reacts with sodium hydroxide to form benzyl alcohol and undergoes Finkelstein reaction to form benzyl iodide.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the structures of chlorobenzene and benzyl chloride

Chlorobenzene has a chlorine atom directly attached to the benzene ring (aromatic ring). Chlorobenzene: C6H5Cl Benzyl chloride has a chlorine atom attached to the benzyl group, which is a carbon atom attached to the benzene ring. Benzyl chloride: C6H5CH2Cl Before moving forward, make sure to understand these structural differences, as they will play a crucial role in differentiating these compounds.
02

Reaction with sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a strong base, and it reacts with benzyl chloride, but not with chlorobenzene. This is because the carbon-chlorine bond in benzyl chloride is more reactive and can undergo nucleophilic substitution reactions easily. When benzyl chloride reacts with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), it forms benzyl alcohol and sodium chloride: C6H5CH2Cl + NaOH -> C6H5CH2OH + NaCl Chlorobenzene does not react with sodium hydroxide because the carbon-chlorine bond in chlorobenzene is less reactive due to being a part of an aromatic ring. The aromatic ring has a partial double bond character, which makes it difficult to break the carbon-chlorine bond.
03

Finkelstein reaction

Finkelstein reaction is a halogen exchange reaction that takes place in the presence of sodium iodide (NaI) in acetone. It is more reactive with benzyl chloride than with chlorobenzene due to the reasons mentioned earlier. Benzyl chloride will react with sodium iodide in acetone to form benzyl iodide and sodium chloride: C6H5CH2Cl + NaI -> C6H5CH2I + NaCl Chlorobenzene does not react with sodium iodide under these conditions because it is less reactive and its carbon-chlorine bond is more difficult to break.
04

Conclusion

To distinguish between chlorobenzene and benzyl chloride, you can use their reactivity with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or Finkelstein reaction. Chlorobenzene is less reactive and does not react with sodium hydroxide or undergo Finkelstein reaction, while benzyl chloride will react with sodium hydroxide to form benzyl alcohol and undergo Finkelstein reaction to form benzyl iodide.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Each question in this section has four suggested answers of which ONE OR MORE answers will be correct. Linear Polymer(s) among the following is/are (a) Terylene (b) amylopectin (c) cellulose (d) Nylon

This section contains multiple choice questions. Each question has 4 choices (a), (b), (c) and (d), out of which ONLY ONE is correct. Cellulose on treatment with sodium hydroxide gives (a) mercerised cotton (b) \(\mathrm{D} \cdot(+)\) -glucose (c) pyroxylin (d) xanthate

Polymers are classified in a number of ways. On the basis of structures, they are divided into three types: linear polymers, branched chain polymers and cross linked polymers. Depending upon the nature of the repeating structural unit, polymers are classified as homopolymers and copolymers. Based on the magnitude of the intermolecular forces, they are classified into four types namely elastomers, fibres, thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics. Polymers are again classified as addition polymers and condensation polymers depending on the mode of polymerization. The different linear chains of terylene molecules are held together by (a) van der Waals forces (b) covalent bonds (c) hydrogen bonds (d) dipole-dipole interaction

Which of the following statements are not correct? (a) Hydrolysis of lactose gives D-glucose and D-galactose. (b) In sucrose, glucose is present in the furanose form while fructose is present in the pyranose form. (c) Gun cotton is cellulose triacetate. (d) On heating with dilute \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{SO}_{4}\) under pressure, cellulose undergoes hydrolysis to give D-glucose.

Identify the wrong statement among the following (a) Molisch's test is used for the identification of carbohydrates. (b) Fehling solution \(A\) is an aqueous solution of \(\mathrm{CuSO} 4\). (c) Fehling solution \(\mathrm{B}\) is an alkaline solution of Rochelle salt. (d) All aldehydes reduce Fehling's solution to a red precipitate of Cu2O.

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free