How Does Tetracarbon Decachloride React With Alcohol?

Tetracarbon decachloride, also known as carbon tetrachloride, reacts with alcohols via a substitution reaction to form alkyl chlorides and hydrogen chloride gas. The reaction is typically carried out in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst, such as aluminum chloride or zinc chloride, to facilitate the substitution process.

The general reaction can be represented by the following equation:

CCl4 + ROH → RCl + HCl + CCl3OH

where R represents an alkyl group.

During the reaction, the chlorine atoms in tetracarbon decachloride are replaced by the alkyl group of the alcohol, resulting in the formation of an alkyl chloride and hydrogen chloride gas. The byproduct CCl3OH, also known as chloroformic acid, may also be formed depending on the conditions of the reaction.

It is important to note that this reaction is not particularly selective, meaning that multiple substitution products may be formed depending on the nature of the alcohol used and the reaction conditions applied. Additionally, carbon tetrachloride is a toxic and environmentally hazardous compound and its use in laboratory reactions has been largely phased out in recent years.