Why moist ethene be dried by passing it through concentrated sulphuric acid?
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To dehydrate ethanol one uses concentrated sulfuric acid:
C2H5OH−→−−−−−−conc. H2SO4C2H4+H2OCX2HX5OH→conc. HX2SOX4CX2HX4+HX2O
but to go in the reverse direction, dilute sulfuric acid is used:
C2H4+H2O−→−−−−−dil. H2SO4C2H5OH
"For that matter, how does the sulfuric acid even help in the first place?" Dehydration again implies the loss of water; note that in your dehydration reaction there is an hydroxyl functional group (-OH) which resembles water in that the -OH is one hydrogen away from H2O (water). An acid catalyst helps tack a H+ onto the -OH and this makes a good, stable leaving group
C2H5OH−→−−−−−−conc. H2SO4C2H4+H2OCX2HX5OH→conc. HX2SOX4CX2HX4+HX2O
but to go in the reverse direction, dilute sulfuric acid is used:
C2H4+H2O−→−−−−−dil. H2SO4C2H5OH
"For that matter, how does the sulfuric acid even help in the first place?" Dehydration again implies the loss of water; note that in your dehydration reaction there is an hydroxyl functional group (-OH) which resembles water in that the -OH is one hydrogen away from H2O (water). An acid catalyst helps tack a H+ onto the -OH and this makes a good, stable leaving group
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