Exploring Williamson Synthesis: What Product Will Form From Cyclohexanol and Butyl Iodide?

What product will be formed from a Williamson synthesis when reacting cyclohexanol with butyl iodide?

a.) Butylhexyl ether

b.) Butyl alcohol

c.) Diethyl ether

d.) Butyl cyclohexyl ether

Answer: d.) Butyl cyclohexyl ether

Answer:

The product formed from a Williamson synthesis when reacting cyclohexanol with butyl iodide will be Butyl cyclohexyl ether.

In the Williamson synthesis, an organic reaction occurs that produces an ether. The reactants involved are a primary haloalkane and a deprotonated alcohol (or alkoxide) according to the following reaction:

ROH + R'X → ROR'

Where R and R' represent any carbon chain, and X stands for a halogen (chlorine, bromine, or iodine).

In the specific case of reacting cyclohexanol (ROH) with butyl iodide (R'X), the product formed is Butyl cyclohexyl ether (ROR'). This ether results from combining the cyclohexyl group from cyclohexanol with the butyl group from butyl iodide.

It's important to note that Williamson synthesis is a versatile method for synthesizing various types of ethers by combining different alkyl or aryl groups. By understanding the reactants involved and the mechanism of the reaction, researchers can predict and obtain specific ether products efficiently.