The classic example of a dehydration reaction is the Fischer esterification, which involves treating a carboxylic acid with an alcohol to give an ester
RCO2H + R′OH ⇌ RCO2R′ + H2O
Often such reactions require the presence of a dehydrating agent, i.e. a substance that reacts with water.
Alkenes can be made from alcohols by dehydration. This conversion, among others, is used in converting biomass to liquid fuels.[2] The conversion of ethanol to ethylene is a fundamental example:[3][4]
CH3CH2OH → H2C=CH2 + H2O
The reaction is accelerated by acid catalysts such as sulfuric acid and certain zeolites.
These reactions often proceed via carbocation]]ic intermediates as shown for the dehydration of cyclohexanol.[5]
Some alcohols are prone to dehydration. 3-Hydroxylcarbonyls, called aldols, release water upon standing at room temperature:
RC(O)CH2CH(OH)R' → RC(O)CH=CHR' + H2O
The reaction is induced by dehydrating reagents. For example, 2-methyl-cyclohexan-1-ol dehydrates to 1-methylcyclohexene in the presence of Martin's sulfurane, which reacts irreversibly with water.[6][7]
^Besson, Michèle; Gallezot, Pierre; Pinel, Catherine (2014-02-12). "Conversion of Biomass into Chemicals over Metal Catalysts". Chemical Reviews. 114 (3): 1827–1870. doi:10.1021/cr4002269. ISSN 0009-2665. PMID 24083630.
^Zimmermann, Heinz; Walz, Roland (2008). "Ethylene". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a10_045.pub3. ISBN 978-3527306732.
^G. H. Coleman, H. F. Johnstone (1925). "Cyclohexene". Organic Syntheses. 5: 33. doi:10.15227/orgsyn.005.0033.
^J. Brent Friesen; Robert Schretzman (2011). "Dehydration of 2-Methyl-1-cyclohexanol: New Findings from a Popular Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment". J. Chem. Educ.88 (8): 1141–1147. Bibcode:2011JChEd..88.1141F. doi:10.1021/ed900049b.
^Roden, Brian A. (2001). "Diphenylbis(1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-phenyl-2-propoxy)sulfurane". Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis. doi:10.1002/047084289X.rd409. ISBN 0471936235.
^Katryniok, Benjamin; Paul, Sébastien; Bellière-Baca, Virginie; Rey, Patrick; Dumeignil, Franck (2010). "Glycerol dehydration to acrolein in the context of new uses of glycerol". Green Chemistry. 12 (12): 2079. doi:10.1039/c0gc00307g. ISSN 1463-9262.
^Franz Wirsching "Calcium Sulfate" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2012 Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a04_555
^Staff. "CaSO4, ½ H2O". LaFargePrestia. Archived from the original on November 20, 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2008.