Alcohols are very useful organic compounds because there are many ways to synthesize larger and more complex molecules starting with simple alcohols. The reactions you will examine form a strong basis for synthetic tools that an organic chemist would use. You will be expected to predict the major products of reactions under the conditions given. The key to doing this is to look carefully at the conditions and remember how those conditions affect the products. It is a good idea to have an index card file of the reactions as you learn them. Dehydration (loss of water) - There are two forms of dehydration reactions with alcohols - ether formation and elimination (alkene formation). In both reactions you are looking for the components of water (OH and H) that will be removed in the reaction. Ether Formation - Two alcohols will form an ether link by loss of water forming an ether product with an acidic catalyst (typically H2SO4) at 140\deg C. One alcohol loses the hydroxyl group and one loses the H from its hydroxyl group. There are ways of predicting which will lose which, but that is not important now. Ethers can be formed from two molecules of the same alcohol or two different alcohols. When you have two different alcohols you usually get a mixture of the possible ethers. How many possibilities would there be ?
Alcohols are very useful organic compounds because there are many ways to synthesize larger and more complex molecules starting with simple alcohols. The reactions you will examine form a strong basis for synthetic tools that an organic chemist would use. You will be expected to predict the major products of reactions under the conditions given. The key to doing this is to look carefully at the conditions and remember how those conditions affect the products. It is a good idea to have an index card file of the reactions as you learn them. Dehydration (loss of water) - There are two forms of dehydration reactions with alcohols - ether formation and elimination (alkene formation). In both reactions you are looking for the components of water (OH and H) that will be removed in the reaction. Ether Formation - Two alcohols will form an ether link by loss of water forming an ether product with an acidic catalyst (typically H2SO4) at 140\deg C. One alcohol loses the hydroxyl group and one loses the H from its hydroxyl group. There are ways of predicting which will lose which, but that is not important now. Ethers can be formed from two molecules of the same alcohol or two different alcohols. When you have two different alcohols you usually get a mixture of the possible ethers. How many possibilities would there be ?
Chemistry
10th Edition
ISBN:9781305957404
Author:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Publisher:Steven S. Zumdahl, Susan A. Zumdahl, Donald J. DeCoste
Chapter1: Chemical Foundations
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1RQ: Define and explain the differences between the following terms. a. law and theory b. theory and...
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