Unit 14 - Applications of Organic Chemistry
Assignment 1 - Functional group chemistry for designer molecules.
Alcohols
Alcohols are compounds in which one or more hydrogen atoms in an alkane have been replaced by
an -OH group. Some examples of this:
Alcohols are classified into distinct groups based on how the –OH is attached to the carbon atoms in
the chain. Between the categories, there are some chemical distinctions.
Primary Alcohols
One of the numerous forms of alcohol is primary alcohol, which contains only one alkyl group
connected to the carbon with the –OH group.
It doesn't matter how intricate the linked alkyl group is in this case because there is only one bond
from the CH2 group to the alkyl group with the –OH group.
Depending on the reaction conditions, primary alcohols can be oxidised to aldehydes or carboxylic
acids. When carboxylic acid is formed, the alcohol is first oxidised to an aldehyde, which is then
further oxidised to the acid. An example of this is,
Secondary Alcohols
Secondary alcohols are another type of alcohol in which the –OH group is connected to two alkyl
groups that may or may not be the same. For example:
Assignment 1 - Functional group chemistry for designer molecules.
Alcohols
Alcohols are compounds in which one or more hydrogen atoms in an alkane have been replaced by
an -OH group. Some examples of this:
Alcohols are classified into distinct groups based on how the –OH is attached to the carbon atoms in
the chain. Between the categories, there are some chemical distinctions.
Primary Alcohols
One of the numerous forms of alcohol is primary alcohol, which contains only one alkyl group
connected to the carbon with the –OH group.
It doesn't matter how intricate the linked alkyl group is in this case because there is only one bond
from the CH2 group to the alkyl group with the –OH group.
Depending on the reaction conditions, primary alcohols can be oxidised to aldehydes or carboxylic
acids. When carboxylic acid is formed, the alcohol is first oxidised to an aldehyde, which is then
further oxidised to the acid. An example of this is,
Secondary Alcohols
Secondary alcohols are another type of alcohol in which the –OH group is connected to two alkyl
groups that may or may not be the same. For example:
