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 solve the question of what product is 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 has the chemical formula \( C_4H_{10}O \) and its structure can be represented as:
```
CH3
|
CH3-C-OH
|
CH3
```
This shows that tert-butyl alcohol consists of a central carbon atom bonded to three methyl groups and one hydroxyl group.

### Step 2: Understand the reaction conditions
When tert-butyl alcohol is heated with copper (Cu) at 573 K, it undergoes a dehydration reaction. This means that a water molecule is removed, leading to the formation of an alkene.

### Step 3: Determine the dehydration process
During the dehydration of tert-butyl alcohol, the hydroxyl group (-OH) is removed along with a hydrogen atom from a neighboring carbon atom. This results in the formation of a double bond.

### Step 4: Draw the product structure
The product formed after dehydration can be represented as follows:
```
CH3
|
CH3-C=CH2
```
This structure shows that a double bond has formed between the second and third carbon atoms.

### Step 5: Name the product
The longest carbon chain in the product consists of three carbon atoms with a double bond. The correct IUPAC name for this compound is 2-methylprop-1-ene.

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