What would you expect from the reaction of 1-butanol with NaBr?

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To determine what happens when 1-butanol reacts with NaBr, we need to consider the roles of the reagents. 
Option 1: no reaction. In a simple mixture of an alcohol with sodium bromide (NaBr) without any strong acid or dehydrating agent, there is no source of a strong electrophile (like HBr or PBr3) to convert the alcohol into an alkyl bromide. Therefore, under ordinary conditions, 1-butanol would largely remain unreacted. 
Option 2: an acid-base reaction. An acid-base reaction would require a sufficiently strong acid to protonate the alcohol or to deprotonate something else; however, NaBr does not provide a base or a strong acid in this context. Thus, no meaningful acid-base transfer occurs here. 
Option 3: a substitution. A substitution to form 1-bromobutane would require an actual brominating agent that can convert ROH into RBr (for example, HBr, PBr3, or SOBr2). NaBr alone does not activate the alcohol for substitution, so this pathway is unlikely without an accompanying strong acid or dehydrating agent. 
Option 4: an elimination. Elimination to form butene typically needs a base strong enough to remove a β-hydrogen and generate an alkene, often in the presence of an acid or heat with suitable substrates. NaBr does not provide such basic conditions, so elimination is not expected here. 
In summary, without a strong acid or activating reagent, NaBr does not convert 1-butanol to another product, making no reaction the most reasonable outcome. The other options rely on reagents or conditions (strong acid, activating halogenating agents, bases) that are not supplied by NaBr alone.

CHE 008B A01 SS1 2025 Lecture 1/2 - Alcohols and HX

What would you expect from the reaction of 1-butanol with NaBr?

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