Sodium acetate is converted to methane by the decarboxylation with soda lime. Soda-lime is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide and the molecular is CaHNaO2. Calcium Oxide is used as a catalyst in the reaction. The temperature needed for the reaction is 300∘C.
=> Ethane can be converted to Butane by the process of Wurtz Reaction. Wurtz reaction is the reaction in which the form of coupling reaction where two lower alkyl halides are reacted in the presence of a dry ether medium and sodium metal to form a higher alkane.
=> Benzene can be convert into toulene by a simple fridel craft alkylation reaction. In this reaction benzene with chloromethane in the presence of anhydrous AlCl3 which directly give toulene.