Alkane substituition

[kenhung123]

Doesn't alkanes react with OH- (NaOH or KOH) to produce alkanol?
Insight said it reacts with water..i thought water was more for addition?

[superflya]

the preferred pathway is to have a chloroalkane undergo a substitution reaction to form an alkanol.

[kyzoo]

Insight said it reacts with water..i thought water was more for addition?

I think it does, just that the yield is very very small

[kenhung123]

so how does the yield become higher when with water?O.o

[chansthename]

so how does the yield become higher when with water?O.o

they yield with water is very low

[kenhung123]

So am i right then? NaOH+alkane=alkanol?

[cindyy]

you need to add Cl2 first and then NaOH to make alkanol

[chansthename]

no, alkane +cl2 -> chloroalkane +hcl

chloroalkane + naoh -> alkanol +nacl

EDIT: http://vcenotes.com/forum/index.php/topic,26404.msg267249.html#msg267249 for my small list of pathways including states.

[kenhung123]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh damn! yes! sorry guys didn't realise =.=

[akira88]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh damn! yes! sorry guys didn't realise =.=

Haha I think I did this very same practise exam... is it Insight 2008? Also I think there's something wrong with one of the questions relating to errors in a back titration, from the top of my head I can't remember which question it was. But all I know is that I didn't think the answer was right :S

[8039]

No it doesn't. A catalyst like Chlorine, a halogen, will attack the hydrogen atoms connected to the carbons and substitute them. Then because Cl is highly eletronegative, OH- can sneak up and  replace the chlorine, forming an alkanol.

[cindyy]

Chlorine isnt the catalyst, in a substitution reaction, UV light is the catalyst and that is what provides the energy to break the Cl-Cl bond

[8039]

Chlorine isnt the catalyst, in a substitution reaction, UV light is the catalyst and that is what provides the energy to break the Cl-Cl bond

Yeah oops, I'm just so used to writing it above the arrow -_-

[cindyy]

Chlorine isnt the catalyst, in a substitution reaction, UV light is the catalyst and that is what provides the energy to break the Cl-Cl bond

Yeah oops, I'm just so used to writing it above the arrow -_-

lol !