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VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Chemistry => Topic started by: samsiexD on May 05, 2013, 08:16:17 pm

Title: Sulfuric acid as a catalyst
Post by: samsiexD on May 05, 2013, 08:16:17 pm

Question : apart from esterification what other reactions use sulfuric acid as a catalyst?

Thanks~

Title: Re: Sulfuric acid as a catalyst
Post by: DisaFear on May 05, 2013, 08:24:20 pm

Acid-catalysed hydration of an alkene, I think.
When you add water to an alkene under acidic conditions to get the double bond broken and an alcohol formed

EDIT: Acutally, I think sulfuric acid isn't specifically used for this, maybe phosphoric acid, nevermind

If you look up sulfuric acid on Wikipedia, there's a whole catalyst section

Title: Re: Sulfuric acid as a catalyst
Post by: lzxnl on May 05, 2013, 08:48:00 pm

Well...if you really want to know...the nitration of benzene also requires sulfuric acid as a catalyst. TNT can be formed by nitrating toluene (methyl benzene) three times. I don't know why you'd want to know this though.

Title: Re: Sulfuric acid as a catalyst
Post by: samsiexD on May 05, 2013, 08:52:28 pm

Its for my sac revision :)

Title: Re: Sulfuric acid as a catalyst
Post by: lzxnl on May 05, 2013, 09:46:15 pm

Ah I meant why you'd want to know about the nitration of benzene :P

Title: Re: Sulfuric acid as a catalyst
Post by: samsiexD on May 05, 2013, 10:25:26 pm

Oh haha, ah well it's nice to learn new things :)

Title: Re: Sulfuric acid as a catalyst
Post by: jgoudie on May 07, 2013, 08:53:41 pm

Sulphuric acid can be used in the oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids.  (here it is used as the source of H⁺ your reaction pathway would be written as Cr2O7^2-/H⁺).

Quote from: samsiexD on May 05, 2013, 08:16:17 pm

Question : apart from esterification what other reactions use sulfuric acid as a catalyst?

Thanks~