Study GuideOrganic Chemistry II–Alcohols and Ethers1.Reactions of AlcoholsAlcohols are very important organic compounds because they can be converted into many otheruseful substances. This wide range of reactions is due to the presence of thehydroxyl (–OH) group.In this chapter, we will study how alcohols react and what products are formed under differentconditions.What Can Alcohols Be Converted Into?Alcohols can be converted into:•Metal salts (alkoxides)•Alkyl halides•Esters•Aldehydes•Ketones•Carboxylic acidsEach type of reaction is discussed below in a clear and step-by-step manner.1. Metal Salt (Alkoxide) FormationAcidic nature of alcoholsAlcohols behave asweak acids. They are only slightly weaker acids than water.•(Ka) of alcohols ≈1 × 10⁻¹⁶•(Ka) of water ≈1 × 10⁻¹⁵Preview Mode
This document has 40 pages. Sign in to access the full document!