Preparation of 1-Bromobutane

Purpose To demonstrate the conversion of a primary alcohol to a primary bro-moalkane using hydrobromic acid. 

Examine your glassware for cracks and chips. This procedure involves heating concentrated acids, and defective glassware could break under these conditions, spilling hot corrosive chemicals on you and those working around you. 

Wear latex gloves while performing this experiment. 

Be very careful when handling concentrated sulfuric acid. If any concentrated sulfuric acid comes in contact with your skin, immediately wash it off with copious amounts of cold water and then with dilute sodium bicarbonate solution. 

Concentratedsuituric acid and water mix with the evolution of lots of heat. Always add the acid to the water, a technique that disperses the heat through warming of the water. Add the acid slowly and with swirling to ensure continuous and thorough mixing. 

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In a synthesis experiment, the point of the exercise is to prepare a clean sample of the product you want. All the operations in the lab (e.g., distillation, recrystallization) are just means to this end. The preparation of 1-bromobutane is a classic synthesis and is the basis of the next series of handwritten notebook pages. 

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