Identify the catalyst X used in following reaction? $\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2}…
Identify the catalyst X used in following reaction?
$\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{Br}+2[\mathrm{H}] \stackrel{\mathrm{x}}{\longrightarrow} \mathrm{CH}_{3}-\mathrm{CH}_{3}+\mathrm{HBr}$
$\mathrm{CaO}, \Delta$
Zn-Cu Couple in alcohol
$\mathrm{KMnO}_{4}$
$\mathrm{K}_{2} \mathrm{Cr}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{7}$
Solution
\(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{Br}+2[\mathrm{H}] \xrightarrow[\text { Alcohol }]{\mathrm{Zn}-\mathrm{Cu}(\mathrm{X})}\mathrm{CH}_{3}-\mathrm{CH}_{3}+\mathrm{HBr}\)
In alcohol, [X] is a \(\mathrm{Zn}-\mathrm{Cu}\) couple. When ethyl bromide is treated with the \(\mathrm{Zn}\)-Cu pair and alcohol in this reaction, ethyl bromide is converted to ethane. This is a redox reaction in a sense. In it, ethyl bromide is reduced to form an ethyl organometallic and Brwhich is then protonated by ethanol to form ethane.