Benzyl alcohol reacts with `"PCl"_(5)` to give:

Options

A. Benzene
B. Benzyl chloride
C. Toluene
D. None of these

Answer

To solve the question of what benzyl alcohol reacts with phosphorus pentachloride (PCl₅) to give, we will go through the reaction step by step.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Reactants**:
Benzyl alcohol has the structure C₆H₅CH₂OH, where the hydroxyl (-OH) group is attached to a benzyl group (C₆H₅CH₂-). The other reactant is phosphorus pentachloride (PCl₅).

2. **Nucleophilic Attack**:
The oxygen atom in the hydroxyl group of benzyl alcohol has a lone pair of electrons, making it a nucleophile. When benzyl alcohol reacts with PCl₅, the lone pair of electrons on the oxygen atom attacks the phosphorus atom in PCl₅, which is electron-deficient due to the electronegativity of chlorine.

3. **Formation of Intermediate**:
Upon the nucleophilic attack, one of the chlorine atoms from PCl₅ is displaced as chloride ion (Cl⁻). This results in the formation of an intermediate where the oxygen atom is now positively charged (C₆H₅CH₂O⁺) and is bonded to phosphorus with three remaining chlorine atoms.

4. **Chloride Ion Attack**:
The chloride ion (Cl⁻) that was released in the previous step can now attack the positively charged oxygen atom, forming an intermediate compound. This leads to the formation of benzyl chloride (C₆H₅CH₂Cl) and the release of HCl.

5. **Final Product**:
The final product of the reaction is benzyl chloride (C₆H₅CH₂Cl). The remaining phosphorus compound after the reaction is phosphorus oxychloride (POCl₃), but the main product we are interested in is benzyl chloride.

### Conclusion:
When benzyl alcohol reacts with PCl₅, it produces benzyl chloride (C₆H₅CH₂Cl).

### Answer:
The product formed when benzyl alcohol reacts with PCl₅ is **benzyl chloride (C₆H₅CH₂Cl)**.

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