Iodoethane reacts with aqueous NaOH to give mostly ethanol (A) via nucleophilic substitution:

CH₃CH₂I + OH ^- à CH₃CH₂OH + I ^-

and with ammonia in ethanolic solution in a sealed tube to give aminoethane (B), although further substitution also occurs:

CH₃CH₂I + 2NH₃ à CH₃CH₂NH₂ + NH₄I

Potassium cyanide in ethanol gives propanonitrile (ethyl cyanide) (C), which can be reduced by lithium aluminium hydride to 1-aminopropane, (D):

CH₃CH₂I + CN ^- à CH₃CH₂CN + I ^-

CH₃CH₂CN + 4[H] à CH₃CH₂CH₂NH₂

Propanonitrile is hydrolysed by aqueous alkali to the corresponding carboxylic acid anion, which gives the free acid, propanoic acid (E), with hydrochloric acid:

CH₃CH₂CN + H₂O + OH ^- à CH₃CH₂COO ^- + NH₃

CH₃CH₂COO ^- + H₃O ⁺ à CH₃CH₂COOH + H₂O

Propanoic acid gives propanoyl chloride (F) with phosphorus(V) chloride:

CH₃CH₂COOH + PCl₅ à CH₃CH₂COCl + POCl₃ + HCl