When tert - butyl alcohol is heated with Cu at 573 K, it forms

Options

A. butanal
B. propanal
C. ethyl methyl ketone
D. 2 - methylprop - 1- ene

Answer

To determine the product formed when tert-butyl alcohol is heated with copper at 573 K, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Structure of Tert-Butyl Alcohol
Tert-butyl alcohol (C4H10O) has the following structure:
```
CH3
|
CH3-C-OH
|
CH3
```
This shows that the central carbon (C) is bonded to three other carbon atoms (making it a tertiary alcohol).

**Hint:** Recognize the structure of tert-butyl alcohol and its classification as a tertiary alcohol.

### Step 2: Understand the Reaction Conditions
When tert-butyl alcohol is heated with copper at a high temperature (573 K), it undergoes a dehydration reaction. This means that water (H2O) will be removed from the alcohol.

**Hint:** Remember that heating alcohols with metals can lead to dehydration, which results in the formation of alkenes.

### Step 3: Mechanism of Dehydration
During dehydration, the hydroxyl group (OH) is removed from the tert-butyl alcohol. A hydrogen atom is also removed from one of the adjacent carbon atoms. This results in the formation of a double bond between the two carbons.

**Hint:** Focus on the removal of OH and H to form a double bond.

### Step 4: Formation of the Alkene
After the dehydration, the structure transforms as follows:
- The OH group is removed.
- A hydrogen is removed from one of the adjacent carbons.

This leads to the formation of 2-methylpropene (also known as 2-methylprop-1-ene):
```
CH3
|
CH2=C
|
CH3
```
This compound has a double bond between the first and second carbon atoms.

**Hint:** Visualize the structure after the dehydration to confirm the formation of the alkene.

### Step 5: Naming the Product
The product formed is 2-methylprop-1-ene. The longest carbon chain has three carbons, and there is a methyl group on the second carbon.

**Hint:** Use IUPAC naming conventions to correctly name the product based on its structure.

### Conclusion
When tert-butyl alcohol is heated with copper at 573 K, the product formed is **2-methylprop-1-ene**.

**Final Answer:** 2-methylprop-1-ene (Option 4).

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