question_answer 95)

  Which of the following haloalkanes reacts with aqueous KOH most easily ? Explain giving reason. (i) 1-Bromobutane (ii) 2-Bromobutane (iii) 2-Bromo-2-methylpropane (iv) 2-Chlorobutane

Answer:

                  Due to resonance, (refer to structures on page 10/16) C-O bond in phenols has some double bond character but in alcohols, it is a pure single bond. In other words, C-O bond in phenols is stronger than C-O bond in alcohols and hence difficult to break. As a result, phenols do not react with HCl in presence of anhydrous  to form the corresponding aryl chlorides but alcohols react to form the corresponding alkyl chlorides.