JEE Main 2023 — Alcohols Phenols And Ethers Question with Solution

Water gas, also known as synthesis gas or "syngas", is a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂). When water gas reacts with a catalyst, typically consisting of a combination of cobalt and molybdenum, it can undergo a reaction to form methanol (CH₃OH).

This is known as the methanol synthesis reaction and can be written as:

$$\mathrm{CO}(\mathrm{g})+2{\mathrm{H}}_2(g)\to {\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{OH}(\mathrm{g})$$

This reaction is widely used in industry for the production of methanol, which can be used as a solvent, an antifreeze, a fuel, and as a feedstock for the production of chemicals.