Final answer:
While specific half-reactions for ethylbenzene in a redox context are not provided, ethylbenzene is typically synthesized through a Friedel-Crafts alkylation, not a redox reaction, using benzene and chloroethane with a catalyst.
Step-by-step explanation:
When constructing a half-reaction for ethylbenzene, one would typically focus on either its oxidation or reduction process in a redox reaction. The half-reactions represent the conversion of chemical species by either losing electrons (oxidation) or gaining electrons (reduction). While the exact half-reaction for ethylbenzene will depend on the specific redox conditions and the desired reaction outcome, no direct general half-reaction is provided for ethylbenzene in standard references.
In the context provided, ethylbenzene is synthesized by a Friedel-Crafts alkylation rather than through a redox reaction. In the synthetization example, benzene reacts with chloroethane to produce ethylbenzene, utilizing aluminum chloride as the catalyst:
C6H6 + C2H5Cl → C6H5C2H5 + HCl
The above reaction is not a redox reaction but an electrophilic aromatic substitution. It's important to match the reaction conditions and physical states, just as shown for basic conditions in the provided example of another half-reaction:
Al(OH)4−(aq) + 3e−