Chapter 17 - Hydroxy Compounds
Chapter 17 - Hydroxy Compounds
Chapter 17 - Hydroxy Compounds
Learning outcomes:
Combustion
3) When oxygen is limited, carbon monoxide and carbon soot might be formed.
Dehydration
5) For more complicated alcohols, be careful of the possibility of more than one
product being formed and also the possibility of geometric isomers in
the alkenes. This is due to a different hydrogen being removed from the
alcohol. An example is butan-2-ol.
2) Acids react with metals to produce hydrogen gas and a salt. Alcohols are very
weak acids, so they undergo this reaction as well.
3) When sodium metal is added to ethanol, the sodium metal sinks and bubbles of
hydrogen gas are released. The salt formed is sodium ethoxide, a white solid.
2CH3CH2OH + 2Na 2CH3H2ONa + H2
4) This reaction can be used as a test for hydroxy, -OH group. Bubbles of
hydrogen gas is released if a hydroxy group is present.
ii. If the alcohol used is limited and heated under reflux, the primary
alcohol will be oxidised to aldehyde then to carboxylic acid. Take ethanol
as an example, from the aldehyde formed, ethanoic acid is formed.
CH3CHO + [O] CH3COOH
5) For tertiary alcohols, they will not be oxidised. This is because there is no
hydrogen atom from the carbon atom holding the -OH group can be removed.
6) For observation:
i. If K2Cr2O7 is used as oxidising agent: colour of solution changes from
orange to green.
ii. If KMnO4 is used as oxidising agent : colour of solution changes from
purple to colourless.
7) Summary:
Esterification
2) Esters are derivatives of carboxylic acids. In an ester, the hydrogen from the
-COOH group of carboxylic acid is replaced by an alkyl group. The alkyl
group came from the alcohol. Some common esters and their naming:
Note:
1) To find out more about aldehydes and ketones, refer Chapter 18.
2) To find out more about carboxylic acids and esters, refer Chapter 19.