Synthesis Route To Know: Alkylbenzene to Benzyl Alcohol #synthesis

Añadido: 2026-05-04

[00:00:00]where again we're going to go from an alkan to an alkaalhalide using this NBS reaction. Then from there, because I'm forming an alcohol, I know that I'm going to have either an SN1 or an SN2 based off of whatever alkaalhalide we form.

[00:00:16]So our first step is just NBS and heat.

[00:00:21]I know that I'm adding a bromine at the benzilic position. So drawing this out, keeping that ring intact, I know all I'm doing is adding that bromine at the benzilic position. That's why it's here.

[00:00:38]Next, because this is not bulky, I know an SN2 reaction is going to be favored over an SN1. Again, it just goes back to how bulky this is because this is unhindered. I know that SN1 prefers something that's tertiary. So there are more groups there. But in our case, there's nothing there. So I know an SN2 is the best option. So because I'm forming an alcohol, I know I'm going to have to use NaOH.

[00:01:07]Also note, we could have used something else other than sodium. We could have also used lithium, any sort of spectator ion that we've seen there. This is just a common one we've seen. So your answer would have been NBS and heat for our first step.