Different alcohols, acids, and reaction conditions should also caution the concentration of sulfuric acid in some procedures. Larger alcohols can be
readily dehydrated by sulfuric acid at high enough temperature, and some acids may also be sulfonated or dehydrated. The dreadful odor of pentene
drifting out of an amyl acetate synthesis taught me (and my immediate family) this lesson. There's no one-size-fits-all ratio. |