Answer :
Final answer:
To synthesize ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) from methanal, a methyl Grignard reagent (CH₃MgBr) is reacted with methanal, which after hydrolysis produces ethanol. So, the correct option is b) CH₃CH₂OH.
Explanation:
To synthesize a primary alcohol such as ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) from methanal (formaldehyde), we can use the following reaction with a suitable Grignard reagent:
CH₃MgBr (methylmagnesium bromide) + HCHO (methanal)
arr CH₃CH₂OH (ethanol)
In this reaction, the methyl Grignard reagent, which is a strong nucleophile, attacks the electrophilic carbon in the carbonyl group of methanal. The addition of the organomagnesium compound to methanal followed by hydrolysis yields ethanol as the primary alcohol product.
