Final answer:
Compound Y is ethylamine (CH3CH2NH2) and compound Z is acetic acid (CH3COOH). When mixed, they form a salt due to the acid-base reaction, resulting in the ionic compound (CH3CH2COO−)(CH3NH3+), which is the answer provided.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asks what the product will be when a nitrile X is reduced by LiAlH4 to form a compound Y (C2H7N), and separately hydrolyzed in an acid medium to form Z, and then when Y and Z are mixed.
When nitriles are reduced by LiAlH4, they form primary amines. Based on the molecular formula given for Y, we know that it is ethylamine (CH3CH2NH2). Hydrolysis of a nitrile in an acid medium yields a carboxylic acid. Therefore, Z should be acetic acid (CH3COOH).
When ethylamine (Y) and acetic acid (Z) are mixed together, they will react to form an amide bond, creating the amide (CH3CH2CONH2), which could exist in ionic form as the acetamide ion (CH3CH2COO−)(CH3NH3+). However, since the amide bond formation requires activation of the carboxylic acid, direct mixing under standard conditions does not typically lead to the formation of an amide. Instead, a salt may form due to the acid-base reaction between the amine and carboxylic acid, leading to the ionic compound mentioned in the question.