Question

What is the action of : (i) Liquid bromine in acetic acid on anisole. (ii) Soda-lime on sodium acetate?

Answer 1

• (i) Action of liquid bromine in acetic acid on anisole:
  Anisole (\(C_6H_5OCH_3\)) undergoes electrophilic aromatic substitution. The methoxy group (\(-OCH_3\)) is an ortho-para directing group. Therefore, bromination gives a mixture of ortho- and para-bromoanisole.

\[ C_6H_5OCH_3 + Br_2 \;\xrightarrow[\text{}]{CH_3COOH}\; o\text{-}BrC_6H_4OCH_3 + p\text{-}BrC_6H_4OCH_3 \]

• (ii) Action of soda-lime on sodium acetate:
  Sodium acetate (\(CH_3COONa\)) undergoes decarboxylation when heated with soda lime (\(NaOH + CaO\)), giving methane.

\[ CH_3COONa + NaOH \;\xrightarrow[\Delta]{CaO}\; CH_4 + Na_2CO_3 \]

Final Answer:

(i) Anisole gives ortho- and para-bromoanisole.
(ii) Sodium acetate with soda lime gives methane (decarboxylation reaction).