Question

1. Discuss the mechanism of alkaline hydrolysis of bromoethane.​

Answer 1

Answer:

• Alkaline hydrolysis of bromomethane follows bimolecular nucleophilic substitution (SN2)mechanism.
• The hydrolysis reaction can be written as follows: 1. .
• The nucleophile (OH-) slowly approaches the carbon atom from the opposite side of the C - Br bond.

Answer 2

$CH_3CH_2Br + OH^-$→ $CH_3CH_2OH + Br^-$

Explanation :

Hydrolysis of 1-bromoethane gives ethanol.

The bromine in the bromoethane is replaced by an -OH group (nucleophile).

Ethanol is the product formed.

The ionic equation is as follows -

$CH_3CH_2Br + OH^-$→ $CH_3CH_2OH + Br^-$ (Nucleophile) (Leaving Group)

The general mechanism of the hydrolysis of bromoethane is as follows -

Step 1: Approach of the nucleophile and backside attack of OH  − on C

Step 2: Transition state formation

Step 3: $Br^-$ ion leaves the bromoethane.

This mechanism proceeds through $SN_2$ hence it is a substitution reaction.

$CH_3CH_2Br + NaOH$ → $CH_3CH_2OH + NaBr$