how to convert ethanol to 2-propanol

Question

aaronq · Answer

There are many ways, this would be a long way:

Dehydrate ethanol to ethene, add HBr which would add across the double bond. Add Mg metal. This is your grignard reagent. Add $CO_2$ through either bubbling gas or with dry ice.  Now you have propanoic acid. Reduce it to 1-propanol. Dehydrate it once more. you'll have propene, now use the reagents for oxymercuration which add the OH to the more substituted carbon. Now you have 2-propanol.

this a shorter one: 

Oxidize ethanol to ethanal (often called acetaldehyde), add methyl lithium - this acts as a carbanion that attacks the carbonyl carbon. $H_3O^+$ work up leaves you with 2-propanol.