Which chemical is a product of the reaction between primary alcohols and thionyl chloride?

When primary alcohols react with thionyl chloride (SOCl2), the reaction facilitates the conversion of the alcohol into an alkyl halide. Thionyl chloride acts as a reagent that replaces the hydroxyl group (-OH) of the alcohol with a chloride ion (Cl).

The reaction typically involves the formation of an intermediate, which then undergoes a rearrangement to yield the final product, an alkyl halide. The general reaction can be summarized as follows:

1. The hydroxyl group of the primary alcohol reacts with thionyl chloride to form an alkyl sulfonate intermediate.

2. This intermediate can then decompose, releasing sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), resulting in the formation of the alkyl halide.

Alkyl halides are organic compounds containing carbon and halogen atoms, in this case, a chlorine atom. This transformation is particularly useful in organic synthesis, as alkyl halides can serve as important intermediates for further reactions, such as nucleophilic substitutions or eliminations.

Other potential products mentioned, such as alkenes, aldehydes, or carboxylic acids, do not form directly from this specific reaction with thionyl chloride and