4D - Alcohols Flashcards
Explain why the water solubility of the alcohols decreases as the chain length increases
Percentage of the molecule that is convered by the hydrogen bonds decrease, hence decreasing the solubility
Conditions required for the dehydration of alcohols?
Heat under Reflux
Catalyst: Conc Sulfuric Acid ( excess) or Conc Phosphoric Acid
Define elimination
The removal of a molecule from a saturated molecule to make an unsaturated molecule
Name the 2 chemicals you need to make an oxidising agent for the alcohols.
Give the observation for a successful oxidation
Potassium dichromate (VI)
Aqueous sulphuric acid
Orange solution → Green solution
Conditions required for Primary alcohol → aldehyde?
What process is used to seperate out the aldehyde from the reaction mixture?
Oxidising agent
Suphuric acid
Heat under reflux
Distillation
Conditions required for primary alcohol → carboxylic acid
Oxidising agent
Sulphuric acid
Heat under reflux
1st and 2nd oxidation of a primary alcohol?
1st: alcohol → aldehyde
2nd: aldehyde → carboxylic acid
Conditions for secondary alcohol → ketone
Oxidising agent
Sulphuric acid
Heat under reflux
What happens when tertiary alcohols are heated with acidified potassium dichromate (VI)?
No change
Define nucleophilic substitution
A reactionin which a nucleophile is attracted to an electron-deficient carbon atom and replaces an atom or group of atoms on the carbon atom
