4.2 Alcohols, Haloalkanes And Analysis Flashcards
Describe the polarity of alcohols
They are generally polar due to the electronegative hydroxyl group which pulls the electrons in the C-OH bond away from the carbon atom
Describe the trend in solubility of alcohols
In larger alcohols, most of the molecule is a non polar carbon chain, so there’s less attraction for the H2O molecules.
So increase in alcohol size, decreases in water solubility
Compare the volatility and boiling point of alcohols to alkanes
Alkanes have a much lower boiling point than an alcohol with the same number of carbons
- In alkanes the intermolecular forces are only weak induced dipoles (London Forces)
- In alcohols, the OH group can form hydrogen bonds, which are much stronger
- These hydrogen bonds require much more energy to be broken
- So boiling points are higher and they are less volatile.
How can you tell whether an alcohol is primary, secondary or tertiary?
Primary- OH attached to a C that is attached to 1 other Carbon
Secondary- OH attached to a C that is attached to 2 Carbons
Tertiary- OH attached to a C that is attached to 3 Carbons
Write an equation for the combustion of ethanol
C2H5OH + 3O2 —> 2CO2 + 3H2O
What oxidising agents can be used to oxidise alcohols
What colour is at first and after it reacts?
Acidified dichromate(vi) mildly oxidies alcohols Orange dichromate(vi) reduced to Green chromium(iii)
Cr2O7^(2–) /H+
eg.
K2Cr2O7 or H2SO4
What happens when you distill a primary alcohol?
and oxidise again under reflux?
(With oxidising agent)
Makes aldehyde and H2O
Makes carboxylic acid
What happens when you reflux a secondary alcohol?
With oxidising agent
Makes Ketones and H2O
What is an oxidising agent represented as?
[O]
What happens when you oxidise a tertiary alcohol?
They can’t. As No hydrogen atoms on the carbon atom that holds the alcohol group
What is it meant by dehydration of an alcohol? (elimination reaction)
(Reactants, products, conditions?)
- H2O can be eliminated from alcohols to give ALKENES
- Heat under reflux with a strong acid catalyst eg. concentrated H2SO4/H3PO4
What are some things to be careful of for dehydration of alcohol questions?
- Often 2 possible alkene products from one elimination reaction depending on which side of the hydroxyl group the hydrogen is eliminated from
- watch out if alkene products can form E/Z isomers (if they can mix of both isomers form)
What is meant by substitution reaction of alcohol with halide ion?
(Alcohol to haloalkane)
Give conditons.
-OH group replaced by Cl-/Br-/I-
•ROH + HX –> RX + H2O (X halogen)
- H2SO4 is added along with the NaX and the mixture is WARMED (20.c)
- This doesn’t work for iodine as it’s oxidised by H2SO4 to give I2 so the yield is poor so H3PO4 instead
What is meant by hydrolysis of haloalkane in a substitution reaction by aqueous alkali?
(Haloalkane to alcohol)
Give conditons.
This is where a nucleophile (an electron pair donor)
usually OH- reacts with a halogenoalkane due to its
polar C–X bond (x = halogen).
The OH- donates its electrons to the polar C, this than
causes the C–X bond to break and X– is formed and alcohol.
NaOH or KOH used
Done under reflux conditions
How could you compare experimentally the rates of hydrolysis of different carbon-halogen bonds?
Why cant flouroalkanes be used?
Haloalkanes react with AgNO3 and water
•Halide ion leaves during the reaction
•This reacts with Ag+ to give a precipitate
an use how long the precipitate takes to appear to determine how fast reactions of different haloalkanes are
(EXPERIMENT)
•Use this to determine bond strengths of different C-X bonds
•Stronger bonds will lead to a slower reaction so precipitate will take longer to appear
•Fluoroalkanes can’t be used because FNO3 is soluble, not a precipitate