Butanone + ethanol

Question

What is the product of butan-2-one + ethanol

the product of the reaction above reacts with ethanol to give what products?

Answer 1

In general, reaction of alcohols with ketones form hemiacetals or acetals.

Alcohols are weak nucleophiles that can attack the electrophilic carbon of ketones (C=O). If you react a ketone with 1 mole of an alcohol, then you form an hemiacetal (HO–C–OR). However, if the ketone reacts with 2 moles of alcohol, then you form an acetal (RO–C–OR). The by-product in either case is a hydronium ion (H₃O⁺).

Please note that since Wyzant does not have a ChemDraw program to draw organic structures, I will write a condensed version of the structure, and hopefully, you will be able to decipher it.

CH₃CH₂COCH₃ + CH₃CH₂OH → CH₃CH₂(CH₃CH₂O–C–OH)CH₃ Name: 2-Ethoxybutan-2-ol

CH₃CH₂(CH₃CH₂O–C–OH)CH₃ + CH₃CH₂OH → CH₃CH₂(CH₃CH₂O–C–OCH₂CH₃)CH₃ + H₃O⁺

Name of acetal product: 2,2-Diethoxybutane