The reaction of t - butyl chloride and sodium ethoxide gives mainly

Options

A. t - butyl ethyl ether
B. 2,2 - dimethylbutane
C. 2 - methylprop -1 - ene
D. isopropyl n- propyl ether

Answer

To solve the question regarding the reaction of t-butyl chloride with sodium ethoxide, we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Reactants
The reactants in this reaction are t-butyl chloride (C4H9Cl) and sodium ethoxide (C2H5ONa).

### Step 2: Understand the Structure of t-Butyl Chloride
t-Butyl chloride is a tertiary alkyl halide, which means it has three alkyl groups attached to the carbon that is bonded to the chlorine atom. The structure can be represented as follows:

```
CH3
|
CH3-C-Cl
|
CH3
```

### Step 3: Recognize the Role of Sodium Ethoxide
Sodium ethoxide is a strong base and a good nucleophile. In this reaction, it will primarily act as a strong base due to the steric hindrance present in the t-butyl chloride.

### Step 4: Determine the Type of Reaction
Given that t-butyl chloride is a tertiary alkyl halide, the reaction with sodium ethoxide will favor an elimination reaction (E2) rather than a substitution reaction (SN2). This is because SN2 reactions are not favorable for tertiary substrates due to steric hindrance.

### Step 5: Mechanism of E2 Elimination
In the E2 mechanism:
- The ethoxide ion (C2H5O-) will abstract a beta hydrogen from the t-butyl chloride.
- The bond between the beta hydrogen and its carbon will break, leading to the formation of a double bond between the alpha carbon and the beta carbon.
- The chlorine atom will be eliminated as a chloride ion.

### Step 6: Identify the Product
The beta hydrogen that is abstracted is from one of the methyl groups adjacent to the t-butyl group. The resulting product after elimination will be propene (C3H6), specifically 2-methylpropene, which can be represented as:

```
CH3
|
CH3-C=CH2
```

### Step 7: Name the Product
The product formed is 2-methylpropene, which is the major product of the reaction.

### Conclusion
The major product of the reaction between t-butyl chloride and sodium ethoxide is **2-methylpropene**.

---