Isopropylbenzene, also known as cumene, is synthesized through____________________?
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Answer: B. Propylene alkylation of benzene
Explanation
Cumene is synthesized commercially by reacting benzene with propylene gas over an acid catalyst. The propylene alkyl group attaches directly to the aromatic benzene ring structure during synthesis. This catalytic alkylation process yields isopropylbenzene as the primary product for chemical plants. Cumene is an organic compound with the systematic name isopropylbenzene and formula C9H12. Acid catalysts such as phosphoric acid or zeolites are traditionally used to promote the alkylation. Industrial production of cumene represents a major intermediate step in global petrochemical processing.
Petrochemical complexes convert almost all produced cumene into phenol and acetone via the hydroperoxide process. Phenol derived from cumene is essential for manufacturing polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Optimizing alkylation reactor conditions prevents unwanted polyalkylation side reactions and improves yields. Oxidation of naphthalene produces phthalic anhydride rather than isopropylbenzene or cumene. Polymerisation involves joining multiple identical monomer units rather than alkylating aromatic rings. Selecting none of these is incorrect because propylene alkylation accurately describes cumene synthesis.
- Subject
- Engineering
- Category
- Chemical Engineering
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- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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