Properties of primary alcohol 2-methylbutan-1-ol

Steps:

• Identify structure: HOCH₂CH(CH₃)CH₂CH₃, primary alcohol with OH on terminal carbon.
• Test A: ROH + PCl₅ → RCl + POCl₃ + HCl(g); reaction produces HCl gas.
• Test B: Primary alcohols oxidize to carboxylic acids (2-methylbutanoic acid) with standard agents like KMnO₄.
• Test C: C2 attached to H, CH₃, CH₂OH, CH₂CH₃ (all different), but no optical isomerism in standard context without resolution.

Why A is correct:

• Alcohols, including primary, react with PCl₅ per the general equation ROH + PCl₅ → RCl + POCl₃ + HCl(g), evolving HCl gas.

Why the others are wrong:

• B: Oxidation of primary alcohols yields carboxylic acids, not aldehydes, under typical conditions.
• C: The compound has a chiral center but is racemic; it does not inherently display optical isomerism without enantiomeric separation.

Final answer: A