Alcohols Flashcards
What are primary alcohols?
One carbon is attached to the carbon that has a hydroxyl group attached to it.
What are secondary alcohols?
Two carbons are attached to the carbon that has a hydroxyl group attached to it.
What are tertiary alcohols?
Three carbons are attached to the carbon that has a hydroxyl group attached to it.
What is the mechanism for the dehydration of an alcohol to make an alkene?
elimination
What conditions are needed for the dehydration of alcohols to make alkenes?
The alcohol is heated under reflux with concentrated sulfuric acid.
Name and outline the mechanism for the dehydration of propane-2-ol using sulfuric acid.
What are the products of the partial oxidation of primary alcohols?
aldehydes
What conditions are needed for the partial oxidation of alcohols?
- potassium dichromate
- dilute sulfuric acid
- warm gently and distil the products out as they are made
What are the products of the full oxidation of primary alcohols?
a carboxylic acid
What conditions are needed for the full oxidation of alcohols?
- an excess of potassium dichromate
- dilute sulfuric acid
- heat under reflux and distil the product after the reaction has finished
What are the products of the oxidation of secondary alcohols?
a ketone
What conditions are needed for the oxidation of secondary alcohols?
- Potassium dichromate and dilute sulfuric acid.
- Heat under reflux
How does potassium dichromate oxidise the alcohols?
The orange dichromate ion is reduced to a green chromium 3+ ion and this oxidises the alcohols.
How is Tollen’s reagent used to test for aldehydes and ketones?
In the presence of an aldehyde, a silver mirror will form and in the presence of a ketone, there will be no change.
What is Tollen’s reagent made out of?
aqueous ammonia and silver nitrate to form a complex ion. [Ag(NH3)2]+