Benzene and Alkyl Benzene - Result Question 52

52. Answer the following with suitable equation wherever

necessary

(i) How can you prepare benzene from lime ?

(ii) How will you convert toluene to $m$ -nitrobenzoic acid ?

(1987, 2M)

Show Answer

Solution:

(i) Lime is heated with coke at high temperature and then, hydrolysed to form acetylene. This acetylene on passing red hot tube polymerises to form benzene :

$ \underset{\text { Lime }}{\mathrm{CaO}}+\underset{\text { Coke }}{3 \mathrm{C}} \xrightarrow{2000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}} \mathrm{CaC}_2+\mathrm{CO} \uparrow $

$ \begin{aligned} & \mathrm{CaC}_2+2 \mathrm{H}_2 \mathrm{O} \longrightarrow \mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{OH})_2+\underset{\text { Acetylene }}{\mathrm{C}_2 \mathrm{H}_2} \\ & 3 \mathrm{C}_2 \mathrm{H}_2 \xrightarrow[\Delta]{\mathrm{Cu}} \underset{\substack{\mathrm{C}_6 \mathrm{H}_6 \\ \text { Benzene }}}{\mathrm{Cl}^2} \\ \end{aligned} $

(ii) $-\mathrm{CH}_3$ in toluene is ortho/para directing group, first oxidised to $-COOH$ in order to make it meta directing and then nitrated.

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