Video Transcript
Benzene can be prepared from its
derivative sodium benzoate according to the following reaction scheme: sodium
benzoate plus sodium hydroxide heated with quicklime to produce benzene plus another
product. What other product is formed in
this reaction?
Different industrial and laboratory
reactions can yield benzene molecules. Removing functional groups from
aromatic molecules is one method of generating benzene. Decarboxylation processes, for
example, can be used to make benzene from aromatic acids. A decarboxylation reaction is a
chemical reaction in which a carboxyl group is removed, and carbon dioxide is
released, or CO2.
A similar reaction is shown in this
question, with the benzene derivative sodium benzoate. Let us examine how this reaction
process in more detail. We can heat sodium benzoate, sodium
hydroxide, or NaOH, and quicklime, or calcium oxide, to produce benzene and another
product. Note that quicklime is thermally
stable and does not easily decompose when heated. It is also a catalyst used to speed
up the chemical reaction.
When the carboxyl group is removed,
it reacts with the hydroxide to form benzene. Now we are left with two sodium
atoms, one carbon atom, and three oxygen atoms. When we rearrange the atoms, we see
that sodium carbonate, written Na2CO3, can be formed. Therefore, the correct answer and
the other product formed is Na2CO3.
