Organic Chemistry - Alcohols (Paper 2)

Question 1

what functional group do alcohols contain?

Answer 1

-OH

Question 2

what do the names of alcohols end in?

Answer 2

“ol”

Question 3

what can ethanol be oxidised by?

Answer 3

1. burning in air or oxygen (complete combustion)
2. reacting with oxygen in the air to form ethanoic acid (microbial oxidation)
3. heating with potassium dichromate (VI) in dilute sulfuric acid to form ethanoic acid

Question 4

what can ethanol be manufactured by?

Answer 4

1. reacting ethene with steam in the presence of a phosphoric acid catalyst at a temperature of about 300C and a pressure of about 60-70 atm
2. the fermentation of glucose, in the absence of air, at an optimum temperature of about 30C and using the enzymes in yeast

Question 5

why is the fermentation of glucose conducted in the absence of air?

Answer 5

in the presence of air (aerobic conditions), enzymes in the yeast produce carbon dioxide and water instead of ethanol and the ethanol can oxidise to ethanoic acid