Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Facile Preparation of 2Z,4E-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
Published on: June 21, 2017
Catalytic transformation of ethanol into 1,3-butadiene
1Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY UK.
Abstract:
1,3-Butadiene is an important constituent of many products that we rely upon. It is currently prepared from non-sustainably derived sources. However, in the early part of the 20(th) Century the use of ethanol as a source of 1,3-butadiene has been reported. With the arrival of a cheap and bountiful supply of crude-oil derived sources the need for the sustainable route was deemed unnecessary. In recent years the conversion of ethanol to 1,3-butadiene has undergone somewhat of a mini resurgence as the chemical industry looks to try to find a sustainable and secure route to this important building block. This review will emphasise some of the most recent work in the field and look ahead to what needs to be achieved to make this research a reality. Graphical AbstractThis review focusses on the recent progress in the area of the conversion of ethanol to 1, 3-butadiene.
Related Concept Videos
Electrophilic 1,2- and 1,4-Addition of HX to 1,3-Butadiene
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes
Electrophilic Addition of HX to 1,3-Butadiene: Thermodynamic vs Kinetic Control
Electrophilic 1,2- and 1,4-Addition of X2 to 1,3-Butadiene
Reduction of Benzene to Cyclohexane: Catalytic Hydrogenation
π Molecular Orbitals of 1,3-Butadiene
The simplest conjugated diene is 1,3-butadiene: a four-carbon system where each carbon is sp2-hybridized and has an unhybridized p orbital that contains an unpaired electron. According to molecular orbital theory, atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals such that the...

