Alcohol Types 🔥

Primary Alcohols

Tertiary Alcohols

Secondary Alcohols

Examples: Ethanol, Methanol

Examples: Isopropanol, Butanol

Example: Tert-butanol

Dehydration Reaction

Esterification Reaction

Oxidation Reaction

Reagents: Carboxylic acid and a catalyst (e.g., concentrated sulfuric acid, H2SO4)

Product: Ester

Example: Ethanol (CH3-CH2-OH) + Acetic Acid (CH3COOH) → Ethyl Acetate (CH3COOCH2CH3) + Water

Reagent: Acidified potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7/H2SO4)

Product: Aldehyde

Example: Ethanol (CH3-CH2-OH) → Ethanal (CH3-CHO)

Conditions: Heat with a strong acid (e.g., sulfuric acid, H2SO4)

Product: Alkene

Example: Ethanol (CH3-CH2-OH) → Ethene (CH2=CH2) + H2O

Dehydration Reaction

Substitution Reaction

Oxidation Reaction

Reagent: Acidified potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7/H2SO4)

Product: Ketone

Example: Isopropanol (CH3-CHOH-CH3) → Acetone (CH3-CO-CH3)

Conditions: Heat with a strong acid (e.g., sulfuric acid, H2SO4)

Product: Alkene

Example: Isopropanol (CH3-CHOH-CH3) → Propene (CH2=CH-CH3) + H2O

Conditions: Tertiary alcohols favor this reaction.

Product: Formation of an alkyl halide

Example: Isopropanol (CH3-CHOH-CH3) → Isopropyl Chloride (CH3-CHCl-CH3)

Substitution Reaction

Dehydration Reaction

Conditions: Heat with a strong acid (e.g., sulfuric acid, H2SO4)

Product: Alkene

Example: Tert-butanol ((CH3)3C-OH) → 2-Methylpropene ((CH3)2C=CH2) + H2O

Conditions: Tertiary alcohols favor this reaction.

Product: Formation of an alkyl halide

Example: Tert-butanol ((CH3)3C-OH) → Tert-butyl Chloride ((CH3)3C-Cl)