Question

Primary alkyl halide C₄H₉Br (a) reacted with alcoholic KOH to give compound (b). Compound (b) is reacted with HBr to give (c) which is an isomer of (a). When (a) is reacted with sodium metal it gives compound (d), C₈H₁₈ which is different from the compound formed when n-butyl bromide is reacted with sodium. Give the structural formula of (a) and write the equations for all the reactions.

Answer 1

There are two primary alkyl halides having the formula C₄H₉Br. They one n-butyl bromide and isobutyl bromide

Since (a) reacts with Na to give a compound C₈H₁₈ which is different from the compound formed when n – butyl bromide is reacted with Na, (a) has to be isobutyl bromide.