[unoho]

hi people,
im a student of grade 12. for my project, i am supposed to find the product when you mix ethanol and isopropanol.

The problem is that I can only find 1 product. but according to my teacher, i am supposed to find 5 different product.
the product i have so far is ethoxyisopropane which is an ethers, of course

can someone please help me derive four more?
thank you

P.S, i have checked various sources but couldn't find any information on it.

[sjb]

How do you rationalise getting ethyl isopropyl ether?

[savy2020]

I don't know how you get ethyl isopropyl ether by just mixing ethanol and isopropanol
It may be that you should heat the mixture with $$ H_2SO_4 /$$.
Then you get ethyl isopropyl ether
Also you get Ethene, Propene, diethyl ether and diisopropyl ether.

[unoho]

thanks both of you guys for replying me back.

basically.. in my textbook (gr. 12 chemistry) it says..ethers are formed from mixing two alcohol (in this case ethanol and isopropanol) of course with H2SO4 with it. and that makes Ehters plus water.

at savy2020, could you please explain how you got Ethene, Propene, diethyl ether and diisopropyl ether?

thanks again for taking your time.

[Borek]

could you please explain how you got Ethene, Propene, diethyl ether and diisopropyl ether?

Oh man, I am not touching organic chemistry questions with a ten feet pole, but even I know the answers

First, when you take two molecules of alcohol, what do you remove to produce an ether? What happens when you remove the same thing from a SINGLE molecule of alcohol?

Second, when you mix ethanol and isopropanol with sulfuric acid, ether is produced. What happens if you mix ethanol and ethanol with sulfuric acid?

[unoho]

@Borek, lol, see, that's where I'm stuck.
i know that it removes the OH group from isopropanol and one H from ethanol. Doesn't that make H2O?

and don't you only get ehters and water when you mix ethanol with ethanol with sulfuric acid??

thanks for replying back

[Borek]

H₂O! Bingo! Now, what if you take an ethanol molecule and remove a water molecule? Have you ever heard word "dehydration"?

and don't you only get ehters and water when you mix ethanol with ethanol with sulfuric acid?

What ether?

[unoho]

ethoxyisopropane is the ethers.

and i thought the making of ethers was a dehydration process.

Now, what if you take an ethanol molecule and remove a water molecule?

so basically if i take ethanol and dehydrate it, that becomes ethene plus water?

[Borek]

Ethene plus water is OK.

Ethoxyisopropane is wrong - there was no isopropanol, you have mixed ethanol with ethanol...

This must be a mental block. You have black and white marbles in the pocket. You draw two at random. Do they have to be different in color?

1:10 am here, good night.

[unoho]

Thanks a lot for your help. So just to check if everything is correct....

Mixture of ethanol and isopropanol in the presence of H2SO4 will produce
1) ethoxyisopropane (some ethanol molecules reacts with isopropanol molecules)
2) diethyl ethers (some ethanol molecule reacts with some of the other ethanol molecules)
3) diisopropyl ethers (some of the isopropanol molecule reacts with some of the other isopropanol molecules)
4) ethene (since the whole process undergoes dehydration, some of the ethanol molecule will undergo dehydration, causing it to make ethene)
5) propene (since the whole process undergoes dehydration, some of the ethanol molecule will undergo dehydration, causing it to make propene)

does that seem right??
basically that is my presentation i am supposed to explain it to the rest of the class.
again, thanks everyone for their help.

[savy2020]

5) propene (since the whole process undergoes dehydration, some of the ethanol molecule will undergo dehydration, causing it to make propene)

That should be isopropanol.

By the way just for your information-
In these dehydration reactions,
Alkenes will be major products @ about 140 degree celsius
while ethers will be major product @ about 170 degree celsius

[unoho]

That should be isopropanol.

@savy2020, ya that's what i meant but wrote ethanol. lol
and thank you for adding that extra bit about temperature.