Chemistry- Alcohols, Aldehydes, Ketones and carboxylic acids Flashcards
What is the primary, secondary and tertiary structure of an alcohol?
Primary: R-OH
Secondary: RCH(OH)R’
Tertiary: RC(OH)R’R”
What are the alcohols (primary, secondary and tertiary) oxidised to?
Primary —[O]—>Aldehyde—[O]—> Carboxylic acid
Secondary —[O]—> Ketone
Tertiary (cannot be oxidised)
Oxidation reagents:
Acidified Potassium Dichromate
What is the test for an oxidation reaction of an alcohol & determining what alcohol structure there is?
Tollens- (silver Nitrate / NH3) = silver mirror or black precipitate
Benedicts/Fehlings = Brick Red precipitate
What are the tests for an Aldehyde?
Fehlings / Benedicts reagent
- Brick red / orange precipitate
Tollens reagent
- Forms a mirror (for positive result)
What is the test for tertiary alcohols?
Reaction with sodium carbonate solution.
Tertiary alcohols effervesce
What happens during oxidation of a primary alcohol?
Primary alcohol —[O]—> Aldehyde
Aldehydes can be distilled off after reflux reaction of a primary alcohol.
Aldehyde —[O]—> Carboxylic Acid,
If not distilled and alcohol is oxidised to completion then a carboxylic acid forms.
What is the functional group for an Aldehyde?
RCHO
What happens during the oxidation of a secondary alcohol?
Alcohol —[O]—> Ketone
Formed when secondary alcohols are heated under reflux.
What is the Functional group for a ketone?
R-C(-R)=O
What happens during the oxidation of a tertiary alcohol?
Tertiary alcohols do not oxidise (no change)
How can you test for a primary, secondary or tertiary alcohol or aldehydes and ketones?
1) Heat with H2SO4/ K2Cr2O7 No colour change = 3' alcohol. 2) Green solution 2' or 1' alcohol 3) distil and test with tollens or Fehlings No colour change = 2' Alcohol Colour change = 1' Alcohol.
Why are only small ketones and aldehydes soluble in water?
The smaller ketones and aldehydes can form hydrogen bonds in water due to electronegative oxygen atoms in their structure bonding to water molecules.
Larger aldehydes and ketones with large R-groups (hydrocarbon chain) are less soluble as the longer chain is non-polar and cause solubility to decrease.
What intermolecular forces are present in an alkane, ketone and alcohol and their effect on their boiling points
Butane - Only van der waals forces so have a low boiling point
Ketone - Dipole dipole forces and van der waals so middle boiling point
Alcohol - Hydrogen bonds and van der waals so high boiling point.
Why are ketones and aldehydes susceptible to attack from nucleophiles?
C=O is a polar bond due to electronegativity between carbon and oxygen.
Nucleophiles attack the slightly positive carbon and the double bond means that an addition reaction is possible.
Why is the nucleophilic addition of cyanide useful?
Very useful due to the number increase in carbon number within the molecule.
Nitrile and hydroxy can react at a later date.
What isomers are produced from nucleophilic addition with cyanide?
Nucleophilic addition with cyanide to an aldehyde or asymetric ketone produces optical isomers.
Nucleophilic addition to a symetrical ketone does not produce an optical isomer.
What kind of mixture is produced when a nucleophile reacts with an asymetric isomer.
50% : 50%
Racemic mixture
What is the carbon with 4 different groups off it called?
Chiral carbon (chiral centre)
Why is HCN gas not used practically or in a lab?
Toxic gas and hard to prevent escaping into the laboratory.
What substances are used to introduce cyanide into a molecule.
Use NaCN or KCN followed by dilute HCl.
Na/KCN —> Source of CN ions
Dilute HCl —> Source of H+ ions