Write down the functional isomer of methyl methanoate, what product would you expect… – Chemistry NEB 2076 (old course) Solution

Methyl methanoate ( $CH X_{3} OCHO$ ) has ethyl nitrite ( $CH X_{3} CH X_{2} ONO$ ) as its functional isomer. Both have the same molecular formula ( $C X_{2} H X_{6} O X_{2}$ ) but belong to different functional groups (ester vs. nitro compound).

When ethyl nitrite is heated with $P X_{2} O X_{5}$ , it undergoes dehydration to form nitrous oxide ( $N X_{2} O$ ) and ethene ( $C X_{2} H X_{4}$ ). The reaction proceeds as follows:

EtheneEthene

Structure of Ethene

$CH X_{3} CH X_{2} ONO P X_{2} O X_{5}, Δ C X_{2} H X_{4} + N X_{2} O + H X_{2} O$

The $P X_{2} O X_{5}$ acts as a dehydrating agent, facilitating the elimination of water and the formation of the gaseous products.

Write down the functional isomer of methyl methanoate, what product would you expect when the isomer is heated with P2O5 ?

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