The most comanon preparation of thiols, RSH1, depends on the high nucleophilicity of the hydrosulfide ion, 115 (Section 9.3E). Sodium hydrosulfide is prepared by bubbling \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{~S}\) through a solution of \(\mathrm{NaOH}\) in water or aqueous ethanol. Reaction of HIS' with a haloalkane gives a thiol.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Question: Explain the process of preparing thiols using sodium hydrosulfide and a haloalkane. Answer: The process involves three main steps: (1) preparation of sodium hydrosulfide by reacting hydrogen sulfide gas with sodium hydroxide, (2) reacting the hydrosulfide ion (HS-) with a haloalkane to form a thiol (RSH), and (3) isolating and purifying the thiol product from other reaction products.

Step by step solution

01

Preparation of Sodium Hydrosulfide

Sodium hydrosulfide (\(\mathrm{NaHS}\)) is prepared by bubbling hydrogen sulfide gas (\(\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{S}\)) through a solution of sodium hydroxide (\(\mathrm{NaOH}\)) in water or aqueous ethanol. The reaction can be represented as follows: \(\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{S} + \mathrm{NaOH} \longrightarrow \mathrm{NaHS} + \mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}\)
02

Reaction of Hydrosulfide Ion with a Haloalkane

The hydrosulfide ion (HS-) is a good nucleophile. It reacts with a haloalkane (RX, where R is an alkyl group and X is a halogen atom) to give a thiol (RSH). The reaction can be represented as below: \(\mathrm{NaHS}(\mathrm{HS^{-}}) + \mathrm{R}\mathrm{X} \longrightarrow \mathrm{R}\mathrm{SH} + \mathrm{NaX}\)
03

Isolate the Thiol Product

The thiol product (RSH) can be separated from the other product, sodium halide (NaX), by using techniques such as extraction or filtration, depending on the specific properties of the products. Once isolated, purification methods such as recrystallization or distillation can be used to obtain pure thiol compound. These are the essential steps in the preparation of thiols using sodium hydrosulfide and a haloalkane.

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

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