How can you convert methyl benzene into benzene?

Answer 1

First Step: Friedel Craft Acylation on benzene to form phenyl methyl ketone or acetophenone.

Second Step: Reduction of acetophenone by Clemmenen reduction using zinc amalgam and HCl to give the desired product. Another method is the reaction of benzene with ethyl chloride in presence of AlCl3 and heat in a close container.

Answer 2

not possible in a single step, but in four steps it is possible.

1-Dehydration of ethanol in presence of conc. sulphuric acid gives ethene.

2-Bromination of ethene with bromine water gives vicinal dibromide.

3-Dehydrohalogenation of vicinal dibromide with alcoholic KOH gives ethyne (acetylene).

4-When acetylene is heated in a sealed tube BENZENE is produced.

Answer 3

That is a very good question. But it is very hard to explain without the visualization of demonstration.

Answer 4

Oxidation (with KMnO4) then decarboxylation (with soda lime) of ethyl benzene gives methyl benzene (Toluene) the repetition of same processes with mthylbenzene gives the benzene.