In the preparation of ethyl chloride by Grooves’ method, CH2 CH2OH + HCl xrightarrow textAnhyd.ZnCl2 CH2CH2Cl + H2O the main reason for using anhydrous ZnCl2 as catalyst is that

Question

In the preparation of ethyl chloride by Grooves’ method, CH2 CH2OH + HCl xrightarrow textAnhyd.ZnCl2 CH2CH2Cl + H2O the main reason for using anhydrous ZnCl2 as catalyst is that (A) it absorbs water thereby pushing the equilibrium to the right (B) it coordinates with the product CH3CH2Cl and drives the reaction to the right (C) it helps in producing the nucleophile CL from HCl (D) it coodinates with oxygen of ethyl alcohol and thus increases the leaving group ability of the -OH group

Tardigrade Admin · Accepted Answer

ZnCl2 being a Lewis acid coordinates with the O atom of C2H5OH.

Q. In the preparation of ethyl chloride by Grooves’ method, $C H_{2} C H_{2} O H + H Cl Anhyd . Z n C l_{2} C H_{2} C H_{2} Cl + H_{2} O$ the main reason for using anhydrous $Z n C l_{2}$ as catalyst is that

it absorbs water thereby pushing the equilibrium to the right

it coordinates with the product $C H_{3} C H_{2} Cl$ and drives the reaction to the right

it helps in producing the nucleophile CL from HCl

it coodinates with oxygen of ethyl alcohol and thus increases the leaving group ability of the -OH group

$Z n C l_{2}$ being a Lewis acid coordinates with the $O$ atom of $C_{2} H_{5} O H$ .

Q. In the preparation of ethyl chloride by Grooves’ method, CH2​CH2​OH+HClAnhyd.ZnCl2​​CH2​CH2​Cl+H2​O the main reason for using anhydrous ZnCl2​ as catalyst is that