Alcohols Flashcards
What is the general formula for the homologous series of aliphatic alcohols?
Cn H2n+1 OH
What groups do alcohol’s have?
Hydroxyl -OH group
If an alcohol has three or more carbon atoms…
The position of the hydroxyl group is indicated by a number.
E.g CH3CH2CH2OH is propan-1-ol
Why is the boiling point of an alcohol higher than an alkane?
Because alcohols have relatively strong hydrogen bonds.
The more hydrogen bonds present in a molecule, the lower the volatility and the higher the boiling point.
Why do alcohols dissolve in water?
Due to the hydroxyl’s ability to create hydrogen bonds between the alcohol and water.
The greater the number of carbons in a molecule…
The greater the boiling points and the higher the enthalpy change of combustion.
What is miscibility?
A measure of how easily a liquid mixes.
What happens when water and ethanol mix?
Some of the hydrogen bonds between the molecules in the separate liquids are broken and replaced by hydrogen bonds between water molecules and ethanol molecules.
There is no significant gain or loss in energy.
Why does the miscibility of alcohols in water decrease as the hydrocarbon chain length increases?
Although the hydroxyl group can still form hydrogen bonds to water, the long hydrocarbon chain disrupts hydrogen bonding between other water molecules.
Why is it the hydrocarbon chains do not form strong intermolecular bonds with water molecules?
Because the hydrocarbon chains are essentially non-polar and can only form weak van der Waals’ forces.
What does hydrogen bonding between alcohol molecules due to their volatility?
It reduces it significantly.
The intermolecular forces are significantly stronger in alcohol’s than in alkanes.
What is volatility?
The ease with which a liquid turns to vapour.
Explain why ethanol is high miscible with water.
Ethanol molecules and water molecules can form hydrogen bonds with each other.
Explain why pentan-1-ol is miscible with water, but less so than ethanol.
Pentan-1-ol molecules and water molecules can form hydrogen bonds with each other but the C5 H11 sections in the pentan-1-ol molecules disrupt hydrogen bonding between other water molecules.
Explain why ethanol has a higher boiling point than propane.
Ethanol molecule can form hydrogen bonds with each other, propane molecule can’t.
Explain why propan-1-ol has a higher boiling point than ethanol.
Propan-1-ol molecules have a larger hydrocarbon portion than ethanol molecules, so they form stronger van der Waals’ forces in addition to hydrogen bonding.
Monohydric alcohols contain…
only one –OH group per molecule.
Polyhydric alcohols contain…
more than one –OH group per molecule.
What has a higher boiling point polyhydric or monohydric alcohols and why.
Polyhydric alcohols are more viscous and have higher
boiling points than monohydric alcohols because the degree of hydrogen bonding is much greater.
How are hydrogen bonds set up in alcohols?
Hydrogen bonds set up between the slightly positive hydrogen (δ+) atoms and lone pair of electrons on oxygen (δ-) in other molecules.
The hydrogen atoms are slightly positive because the bonding electrons are pulled away from them towards the very electronegative oxygen atoms.
What does the hydroxyl, -OH, functional group in alcohols enables them to form?
The hydroxyl, -OH, functional group in alcohols enables them to form hydrogen bonds i.e. the hydrogen is attached to an electronegative atom (O) that has two lone pairs of electrons. Alcohols, consequently, can form hydrogen bonds with themselves and with water.
Why are the boiling points of alcohols less than that in water?
In water the two hydrogen atoms in a water molecule can form two hydrogen bonds to two oxygen atoms in two other water molecules.
However, in alcohols there is only one hydrogen atom able to form hydrogen bonds and so there is less hydrogen bonding in alcohols.