Which compound is synthesized from dry hydrogen chloride and carbon monoxide at 300 degrees and 200 atm pressure?

Which compound is synthesized from dry hydrogen chloride and carbon monoxide at 300 degrees and 200 atm pressure?

• A. Tetrachloroethylene
• B. Piperazine
• C. Both
• D. None

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that dry hydrogen chloride can act as a source of chlorine while carbon monoxide provides the carbon framework, and under high temperature and pressure these together can form a chlorinated hydrocarbon with water as a byproduct. You can balance the reaction to see why tetrachloroethylene is the product: 2 CO + 4 HCl → C2Cl4 + 2 H2O. Two carbon monoxide molecules supply the two carbons in C2Cl4, four chlorine atoms come from four HCl molecules to give the four chlorines in C2Cl4, and the two oxygens from CO end up in two water molecules with the hydrogens from HCl. This matches the product formula C2Cl4 for tetrachloroethylene. The other option would require nitrogen or a different hydrocarbon framework, which isn’t formed directly from just dry HCl and CO under these conditions. Thus, the synthesis described fits tetrachloroethylene best.

The key idea is that dry hydrogen chloride can act as a source of chlorine while carbon monoxide provides the carbon framework, and under high temperature and pressure these together can form a chlorinated hydrocarbon with water as a byproduct.

You can balance the reaction to see why tetrachloroethylene is the product: 2 CO + 4 HCl → C2Cl4 + 2 H2O. Two carbon monoxide molecules supply the two carbons in C2Cl4, four chlorine atoms come from four HCl molecules to give the four chlorines in C2Cl4, and the two oxygens from CO end up in two water molecules with the hydrogens from HCl. This matches the product formula C2Cl4 for tetrachloroethylene.

The other option would require nitrogen or a different hydrocarbon framework, which isn’t formed directly from just dry HCl and CO under these conditions. Thus, the synthesis described fits tetrachloroethylene best.