Converting cyclohexanol to to cyclohexene

by Silky Jonsteen
(Lawrence, Ks)

The is an Organic elimintation reaction. Frist we start my taking a solution of cyclohexanol, which is a cyclohexane ring, whith an alcohol functional group attached to it. Then we add sulfuric acid to the reaction. The acid will react with the alcohol group.

The acid will protanate the OH group, making it a H2O group. Which will leave the cyclohexane. This will form a cabocation which is unstable. The the acid which gave up a proton will abduct a Hydrogen and that will form a double bond in the cyclohexan. Converting it to cyclohexene.

This project is usefull because, a double bond is easy to break and it is more reactive than a single bond. You can convert cyclohexene to many other poducts. This teaches you a basic organic reaction.

You can repeat this same procedure with other compounds that contain a leaving group. and make new compounds. Share them with your teachers, friends, family, neihbors. The fun part about this lab was using the condesner. You had to heat up the cyclohexanol and sulfuric acid so they could react with each other. Once they reacted the newly formed cyclohexene was converted to vapor form and was condensed form the sulfuric acid and moved to a different beaker.

The heated sulfuric acid smelled bad. Like someone ate rotton eggs for breakfast, and now its kickin in. But fun experiment.

Barry's Response - Could have been, Silky. Any organic chemists in the crowd?



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