16.1.1—Preparation of alcohols

Alcohol preparation routes include steam addition to an alkene, cold dilute acidified manganate(VII) addition to form a diol, aqueous hydroxide substitution of a halogenoalkane, and NaBH₄/LiAlH₄ reduction of an aldehyde or ketone.

Choose the route from the starting functional group and state the conditions. The product class and carbon skeleton must match the reaction pathway.

Ethene + steam ⇌ ethanol with H₃PO₄; bromoethane + OH⁻(aq) → ethanol; ethanal + NaBH₄ → ethanol. Three routes reach the same alcohol from different precursors.

Cold manganate(VII) gives a diol, not the same product as hot oxidative cleavage, and aqueous OH⁻ is not ethanolic elimination reagent.