Organic Chemistry — Question 13

(a) Methane into chloroform

$\underset{\text{ methane} }{\text{CH}_4} + \text{Cl}_2 \underset{\Delta}{\xrightarrow{\text{diffused sunlight}}} \underset{\text{monochloromethane}}{\text{CH}_3\text{Cl}} + \text{HCl}$

$\underset{\text{monochloromethane}}{\text{CH}_3\text{Cl}} + \underset{\text{[excess]}}{\text{Cl}_2} \longrightarrow \underset{\text{dichloromethane}}{\text{CH}_2\text{Cl}_2} + \text{HCl}$

$\underset{\text{dichloromethane}}{\text{CH}_2\text{Cl}_2} + \text{Cl}_2 \longrightarrow \underset{\text{trichloromethane or chloroform}}{\text{CHCl}_3}+ \text{HCl}$

(b) Sodium acetate into methane

$\underset{\text{sodium acetate}}{\text{CH}_3\text{COONa}} + \underset{\text{sodalime}}{\text{NaOH}} \underset{\Delta}{\xrightarrow{\text{CaO}}} \underset{\text{methane}}{\text{CH}_4} + \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3$

(c) Methyl iodide into ethane

$\underset{\text{methyl iodide}}{2\text{CH}_3\text{I}} + 2\text{Na} \xrightarrow{\text{dry ether}} \underset{\text{ethane}}{\text{C}_2\text{H}_6} ↑ + 2\text{NaI}$

(d) Methane to methyl alcohol

$\underset{\text{ methane}}{2\text{CH}_4} + \text{O}_2 \xrightarrow[120 \text{ atm.}]{\text{475 K Cu tube}} \underset{\text{methyl alcohol}}{2\text{CH}_3\text{OH}}$