What is the final product when phenyl acetonitrile reacts with two moles of water in the presence of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) at 1000C for three hours?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is option 2. Phenylacetic acid.
When phenylacetonitrile \((C_6H_5CH_2CN)\) reacts with two moles of water in the presence of sulfuric acid \((H_2SO_4)\) at elevated temperatures (100°C) for three hours, it undergoes hydrolysis to form phenylacetic acid \((C_6H_5CH_2COOH)\) as the final product.
Here is the hydrolysis reaction process:
Formation of Phenylacetic Acid \((C_6H_5CH_2COOH)\): Phenylacetonitrile reacts with water \((H_2O)\) in the presence of sulfuric acid \((H_2SO_4)\). The nitrile group \((-CN)\) undergoes hydrolysis, where water adds across the carbon-nitrogen triple bond (C≡N), yielding a carboxylic acid group \((-COOH)\). The product obtained from this reaction is phenylacetic acid.
Therefore, under the conditions described, the final product formed from the reaction of phenylacetonitrile with two moles of water in the presence of sulfuric acid at 100°C for three hours is phenylacetic acid.
