Procedure: Synthesis of Cyclohexene via Dehydration of Cyclohexanol

    To a 10 mL round bottom flask cyclohexanol (2.004g, 20mmol) and phosphoric acid (0.5 mL, 85% purity) was added. The round bottom flask was then attached to a fractional distillation apparatus and lowered into a heated sand bath (40 °C). The mixture was heated so that one drop collected in the distillation vial every 20-30 seconds. When ~10% of the original mixture was left, the round-bottomed flask was removed from the heat. The flask was then left to cool for the dehydration phase of the experiment. Using a pipet and expelling back and forth the product was removed from the round bottom flask into a test tube to start the dehydration process. The cyclohexene was washed with water (1 X 1.0mL). Next it was washed with 1M NaOH (1 x 1.0 mL).