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Dehydration Of 2-Methylcyclohexanol Lab Report

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The dehydration of 2-Methylcyclohexanol was completed using an acid-catalyzed dehydration reaction between 2-Methylcyclohexanol and sulfuric acid. In this acid-catalyzed dehydration reaction, the oxygen atom is first protonated, the oxonium ion is then endothermically decomposed into a carbocation and water, and finally the loss of a proton from an adjacent carbon atom forms an alkene. Due to the presence of carbocation rearrangement, three products are formed as shown below in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration of 2-Methylcyclohexanol into 1-Methylcyclohexene, 3-Methylcyclohecene, and Methylenecyclohexane
Through an initial hydro-distillation, a liquid-liquid extraction, and a final hydro-distillation, the full acid-catalyzed dehydration of 2-Methylcyclohexanol was completed. Using 25 mL of 2-Methylcyclohexanol, 52.021% of 1-Methylcyclohexene was recovered and 12.652% of 3-Methylcyclohexene and Methylenecyclohexane were recovered. The percent yield of these compounds was found using Equation 1.

Infrared spectroscopy (IR) identified the final product to be 80.437% 1-Methylcyclohexene. The dehydration of 2-Methylcyclohexanol was completed in order to further expand knowledge of lab techniques along with exploring the mechanism behind acid-catalyzed dehydration reactions.

In order to further knowledge of lab techniques along with the basic principles behind the acid-catalyzed dehydration reaction, a few questions must first be answered. There are three

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