Question

How is bromoethane prepared from ethanol?

Answer 1

When ethanol reacts with sodium bromide, the bromide ion (Br⁻) acts as a nucleophile. The Br⁻ ion attacks the carbon atom bonded to the hydroxyl group (OH), leading to the substitution of the OH group with a bromine atom (Br). The hydroxyl group (OH) is replaced by the bromine atom (Br), resulting in the formation of bromoethane.

\[\ce{\underset{Ethanol}{C2H5 - OH} + \underset{bromide}{\underset{Sodium}{NaBr}} → \underset{Bromoethane}{CH2H5 - Br} + \underset{hydroxide}{\underset{Sodium}{NaOH}}}\]