WM cdhg: Organic reactions (alcohols & phenols); green chemistry Flashcards
What is an elimination reaction?
One in which a small molecule is removed from a larger one, leaving the latter unsaturated.
- What conditions are required for the reaction between alcohols and halide ions?
- What type of reaction occurs?
- What is the mechanism?
- What is produced?
- HCl / H2SO4
- Substitution
- Nucleophilic substitution
- Haloalkane + water
Acid catalyst protonates C-OH carbon, making it more δ+ and thus susceptible to nuc attack
- What conditions are required for the conversion of alcohols to alkenes?
- Give two names for the type of reaction which occurs.
- Heated Al2O3 / conc. H2SO4, reflux
- Dehydration, elimination
Name, and give the formula for, a strong oxidising agent which will oxidise the hydroxyl group on alcohols.
Acidified dichromate(VI) solution
Cr2O7(aq)2- / H+(aq)
- Which of primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols react with acidified dichromate(VI) solution?
- Describe and explain what is observed
- Primary + secondary
- Mixture turns from orange to green. Orange dichromate(VI) (Cr2O72-) ions are reduced to green chromate(III) (Cr3+) ions
- Give two names for the type of reaction which occurs between primary or secondary alcohols and acidified dichromate(VI) solution.
- Describe what happens to the hydroxyl group.
- Oxidation, condensation
- -OH group oxidised to C=O (carbonyl) group: one hydrogen removed from oxygen + another from carbon to which oxygen is bonded
State what is produced when acidified dichromate(VI) solution is added to a primary alcohol and the mixture is:
- Distilled
- Refluxed
- Distilled: aldehyde
- Refluxed: carboxylic acid
State what is produced when acidified dichromate(VI) solution is added to a secondary alcohol and the mixture is:
- Distilled
- Refluxed
- Distilled: ketone
- Refluxed: ketone (no further oxidation; would involve breaking strong C-C bond)
State what is produced when acidified dichromate(VI) solution is added to a tertiary alcohol and the mixture is:
- Distilled
- Refluxed
Alcohol is not oxidised under either condition.
(No hydrogen available to remove from carbon atom to which hydroxyl group is bonded)
Draw a diagram showing what is produced when acidified dichromate(VI) solution is added to ethanol and the mixture is:
- Distilled
- Refluxed
Write an equation, using full structural formulae, for the reaction between acidified dichromate(VI) solution and propan-2-ol. Represent the former with [O].
Name a test for phenol. Describe and explain what is observed when phenol is present.
- Test with neutral iron(III) chloride solution
- Mixture changes from colourless to purple since C=C–OH (enol) group forms purple complex with Fe3+ ions
Write equations to show how ethanol and phenol act as acids.
C2H5OH(aq) ⇌ C2H5O-(aq) + H+(aq)
C6H5OH(aq) ⇌ C6H5O-(aq) + H+(aq)
Rank the acidic strength of the following compounds in decreasing order:
- Phenols
- Water
- Carboxylic acids
- Ethanol
Carboxylic acids > phenol > water > ethanol
How do phenols and carboxylic acids react with:
- Alkalis (strong bases)?
- Carbonates (weak bases)?
Phenol + alkali → salt + water
Carboxylic acid + alkali → salt + water
Phenol + carbonate: no reaction
Carboxylic acid + carbonate → salt + water + CO2
Remember that phenols are less reactive than carb acids, and carbonates are less reactive than alkalis.