WM.1 Flashcards
Reactions of alcohols (39 cards)
Why are alcohols liquids at room temperature?
There are strong intermolecular forces between molecules due to hydrogen bonding.
What make alcohols polar molecules?
The O-H bonds.
Why do alcohol molecules and water molecules mix well?
They both have strong hydrogen bonding.
What is the trend of alcohols and their solubility in water as the chains get longer?
The longer the alcohol molecule, the less soluble it is in water. The properties of higher alcohols gets more like those of corresponding alkane.
Why does solubility of alcohols in water decrease as the chain gets longer?
As the hydrocarbon chain get longer and the molecule gets larger, the effect of the OH group on the properties of the molecule becomes less important.
What are the three types of alcohol?
Primary alcohols, secondary alcohols, tertiary alcohols.
When is an alcohol a primary alcohol?
When the carbon that the OH group is attached to has two hydrogens bonded to it. Or is bonded to one carbon atom.
When is an alcohol a secondary alcohol?
When the carbon that the OH group is attached to has one hydrogen bonded to it. Or is bonded to two carbon atoms.
When is an alcohol a tertiary alcohol?
When the carbon that the OH group is attached to has no hydrogen bonded to it. Or is bonded to three carbon atoms.
What does a alcohol have to have to be able be oxidised?
At least one hydrogen attached to the carbon that the OH group is on. This means only primary and secondary alcohols can be oxidised.
What is a oxidising agent we use to oxidise alcohols?
Acidified potassium dichromate. K2Cr2O7.
What colour is the dichromate(VI) ion?
Orange.
What colour is the chromate(III) ion?
Green.
What does the OH group turn into when oxidised?
C=O, a carbonyl group.
What type of compound will a primary alcohol be initially oxidised to?
An aldehyde. It has a carbonyl group at the end of a hydrocarbon chain.
What type of compound can an aldehyde be further oxidised to?
Carboxylic acid, it has a COOH functional group at the end of a hydrocarbon chain.
What type of compound will a secondary alcohol be oxidised to?
A ketone, where the carbonyl group in is between two other carbons in a hydrocarbon chain.
Can a ketone be further oxidised?
No, because it doesn’t have a hydrogen attached to the carbon of the carbonyl group and strong C-C bond will need to be broken.
What is heat under reflux?
It is a safe method for heating reactions involving volatile and flammable liquids. The liquid is boiled with a vertically mounted condenser so the vapour condenses and returns back into the reaction mixture.
How can an alcohol be “directly” oxidised to a carboxylic acid?
Oxidising it with an acidified oxidising agent and heat under reflux.
How are aldehydes named?
Suffix - al. E.g. ethanal.
How are ketones named?
Suffix - one. E.g propanone.
What does dehydration of an alcohol mean?
It means that an alcohol can lose a molecule of water to form an alkene.
What condition does industrial dehydration of alcohol require?
A hot catalyst of Al2O3 at 300 degrees celcius.