Synthesis of Cyclohexene via Dehydration of Cyclohexanol Discussion Part 2

Cyclohexene was confirmed in the product via two chemical tests using bromine in dichloromethane and potassium permanganate.  In the bromine test, the reddish-orange bromine would change to colorless in the presence of an alkene, which was the result observed.  When the potassium permanganate was added it changed from purple to colorless with a dark brown precipitate of manganese dioxide, which indicated the presence of an alkene.  These tests were also performed on an alkene.  The bromine test resulted in a reddish-orange color because bromine does not react with alkanes.  The potassium permanganate test resulted in a purple color because there was no interaction with the alkane.  The infrared spectroscopy (IR) analysis showed two distinct peaks.  One peak at 3022.45 cm^-1 corresponds to sp²-hybridized carbons within the cyclohexane.  The second peak at 2912.51 cm^-1 corresponds to sp³-hybridized carbons within the cyclohexene.  According to the gas chromatography (GC) analysis there is only one lower point material at a retention time of 0.435 that contains 100% of the area indicating the product of cyclohexene is pure.  The amount of cyclohexanol still present in the product is insignificant since it did not appear in the GC analysis. Using a high-boiling component, such as toluene, to continue the distillation and eliminating more water from the product would result in higher present yield and more purity with the obtained product.