Alcohols, Phenols, and

Ethers

Chapter Objectives:
• Learn to recognize the alcohol, phenol, and ether functional groups.
• Learn the IUPAC system for naming alcohols, phenols, and ethers.
• Learn the important physical properties of the alcohols, phenols, and ethers.
• Learn the major chemical reaction of alcohols, and learn how to predict the products of
dehydration and oxidation reactions.
• Learn to recognize the thiol functional group.

Introduction
• In this chapter, we will start looking at
organic molecules that incorporate C—O
bonds.
• Oxygen is in Group 6A of the periodic table, and in
most of its compounds, contains two single bonds and
two lone pairs (or one double bond and two lone pairs),
and is sp3-hybridized with a bent molecular shape:
O O

• The alcohol, phenol, and ether functional groups

are found in a number of important naturally
occurring molecules:
CH3CH2OH
Ethanol
OH
CH3CH2OCH2CH3
Diethyl ether HO
Menthol
Cholesterol 2

1
 Alcohols

The Hydroxy (—OH) Functional Group

• The hydroxyl group (—OH) is found in the alcohol
and phenol functional groups. (Note: that’s not the
same as hydroxide, OH-, which is ionic.)
– in alcohols, a hydroxyl group is connected to
a carbon atom.
– in phenols, —OH is connected to a benzene ring.
(The “parent” molecule of this class is also
named phenol: PhOH or C6H5OH.)
• When two carbon groups are connected by single
bonds to an oxygen, this is classified as the ether
functional group.

R OH OH R O R'
an alcohol an ether
a phenol 4

2
Where Does the Word “Alcohol” Come From?
• The word “alcohol” comes from the Arabic term al
kohl meaning “the fine powder.” Originally, this
referred to an antimony sulfide (Sb2S3)compound
used for eye shadow, which was ground up to form a
fine powder, but then later came to refer to any
finely divided powder. In the Middle Ages, this
term came to mean the “essence” of anything.
• When the Europeans took up alchemy in the Middle
Ages, they referred to vapors from evaporating or
boiling compounds as “spirits,” since they did not
believe them to be material in the same sense that
solids and liquids were. Alchemists began referring
to “spirits of wine,” and since an alcohol when it
boils away seems to powder away to nothing, they
also began to refer to “alcohol of wine” and then
simply “alcohol”.
5

Some Common
Alcohols
CH3OH CH3CH2OH
methanol ethanol
methyl alcohol ethyl alcohol
(wood alcohol) (grain alcohol)
("methy" = wine, "hule" = wood) The acohol of alcoholic beverages; the
Found in wood smoke; contributes to the fermentation of honey, grain, or fruit juices to
bouqet of new wine; metabolized in the body yield beers and wines was probably the first
to formaldehyde and formic acid, and can chemical reaction to be discovered; metabolized
cause blindness or death (> 50 mL) in the body to produce acetaldehyde

CH3CH2CH2OH OH
1-propanol
n-propyl alcohol CH3CHCH3
2-propanol
isopropyl alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is 70%
isopropyl alcohol and 30% water

3
 Nomenclature of Alcohols and Phenols
• Step 1. Name the longest chain to which the
hydroxyl (—OH) group is attached. The name for
this chain is obtained by dropping the final -e from
the name of the hydrocarbon parent name and
adding the ending -ol.
• Step 2. Number the longest chain to give the lowest
possible number to the carbon bearing the hydroxyl
group.
• Step 3. Locate the position of the hydroxyl group
by the number of the C to which it is attached.
• Step 4. Locate and name any other substituents.
• Step 5. Combine the name and location for other
groups, the hydroxyl group location, and the longest
chain into the final name.
7

Examples: Naming Alcohols and Phenols

• Provide acceptable IUPAC names for the following
compounds:

CH3 OH CH3 CH2 OH CH3 CH2 CH2 OH

OH OH

CH3 CH CH3 CH3 CH CH2 CH3

4
Examples: Naming Alcohols and Phenols
• Provide acceptable IUPAC names for the following
compounds:
CH3 CH2 CH2 CH2 CH2 OH CH3 CH2 CH CH2 CH3

OH

CH3

CH3 CH2 CH CH CH2 OH CH3 CH2 CH2 CH CH2 CH3

CH3 CH2 OH

Examples: Naming Alcohols and Phenols

• Provide acceptable IUPAC names for the following
compounds:
OH

OH
OH

CH2CHCH3

10

5
Examples: Naming Alcohols and Phenols
• Draw and name all of the possible isomers of
butanol (C4H10O)

11

Nomenclature of Alcohols and Phenols

• If there is more than one OH group, a counting
prefix (di-, tri-, tetra-, etc.) is placed immediately in
front of the suffix -ol (diol, triol, tetraol, etc.).
– Usually, the final “e” of the parent hydrocarbon is
not dropped (e.g., 1,2-propanediol).
– The position of each alcohol group is indicated by
carbon number, separated by commas (e.g., 1,3-
butanediol).
• For cyclic alcohols, the carbon bearing the OH is
numbered as “1.”
• Phenols are named after the parent compound
phenol; the C bearing the OH is numbered as “1.”

12

6
Examples: Naming Alcohols and Phenols
• Provide acceptable IUPAC names for the following
compounds:
OH

HO CH2 CH2 OH HO CH CH2 CH CH CH3

CH3 CH3

CH2 CH CH2 CH3 OH

OH OH OH CH CH2 CH

OH CH3

13

Examples: Naming Alcohols and Phenols

• Provide acceptable IUPAC names for the
following compounds:
OH

CH3 OH

OH OH

Cl CH2CH2CH3 14

7
 Examples: Nomenclature of Alcohols
• Draw structural formulas for the following molecules:
– 3-methyl-2-pentanol

– 2,4,4,5-tetramethyl-2-heptanol

– 1-ethyl-1-hexanol (what’s wrong with this name?)

15

Examples: Nomenclature of Alcohols

• Draw structural formulas for the following molecules:
– 3-ethylcyclopentanol

– 3-ethylphenol

– 3-methyl-2,4-pentanediol

16

8
 Classification of Alcohols
• Alcohols are classified as primary (1°), secondary
(2°), or tertiary (3°) according to how many carbon
groups are attached to the carbon bearing the OH
group:

H H R''

R C OH R C OH R C OH

H R' R'
Primary Secondary Tertiary
1° 2° 3°
• The number of hydrogens on the carbon bearing
the OH group does affect some chemical
properties.
17

Physical Properties
of Alcohols

18

9
 Hydrogen Bonding
• The oxygen-hydrogen bond is an especially polar
bond because oxygen is much more
electronegative than hydrogen is.
H
H
O

- H H
O H O
+ O
+H 
H O H
H O H
H H
• The O—H bond is therefore a polar bond, and any
molecule which contains an O—H bond (like an
alcohol) is a polar molecule.

19

Physical Properties of Alcohols

• The general rule in solubility is “like dissolves like.”
• Since the OH group makes alcohols polar, they
will mix with polar solvents like water — as long
as the carbon chain is fairly short.
– The longer the carbon chain, the less soluble the
alcohol is.

Water solubility
Soluble Insoluble

Short chain butanol pentanol Long chain

alcohols alcohols
methanol hexanol
ethanol heptanol
isopropanol etc. 20

10
 Hydrogen Bonding of
Alcohols
• Alcohols hydrogen-bond to water:
R O H
O R
H O
O H
R O H
H
H
• Alcohols also hydrogen-bond to each other:
R
H
O H
O R
H O
O R
R O H
H
R 21

Boiling Points of Alcohols

• Because alcohols hydrogen bond to each other, they
have higher boiling points than alkanes of the same
molecular weight.
• The boiling point of alcohols increases as the
molecules become larger.

Molecular Boiling
Name Structure Weight Point
propane CH3CH2CH3 44.09 g/mol -42.1°C
dimethyl ether CH3OCH3 46.07 g/mol -24°C
ethanol CH3CH2OH 46.07 g/mol 78.3°C

22

11
Examples: Physical Properties of Alcohols
• Arrange the following substances in order of
increasing boiling point and increasing solubility
in water:

– 2-butanol

– 2-propanol

– 2-methylpropane

– 2-pentanol

23

24

12
 Reactions of
Alcohols

25

Dehydration of Alcohols to Produce

Alkenes
• Heating alcohols in concentrated sulfuric acid
(H2SO4) at 180°C removes the OH group and a H
from an adjacent carbon to produce an alkene,
with water as a by-product. Since water is
“removed” from the alcohol, this reaction is known
R R R R
H2SO4 H2O
R C C R C C +
180°C

H OH R R

H2SO4
CH3 CH CH3 180°C CH3 CH CH2 + H2O
OH 26

13
Dehydration of Alcohols to Produce
Alkenes
• If there is more than one possible product of a
dehydration reaction, the major product can
be predicted from Zaitsev’s Rule:
• Zaitsev’s Rule — when an alkene is produced in
an elimination reaction, the major product is the
2 H SO
4
CH3 CH2 CH CH3 180°C CH3 CH CH CH3+ H2O
90%
OH
CH3 CH2 CH CH2
10%

H2SO4
CH3 CH2 CH CH2 CH3
180°C

OH 27

Examples: Dehydration of Alcohols

• Complete the following reactions:

CH3
H2SO4
CH3 CH CH CH2 CH3
180°C

OH

CH3 CH3
H2SO4
CH3 C CH CH3 180°C

OH

28

14
 Examples: Dehydration of Alcohols
• Complete the following reactions:
CH3

OH
H2SO4
180°C

CH3 CH3

OH
H2SO4
180°C
CH3
CH3 29

Dehydration of Alcohols to Produce

Ethers
• Heating alcohols (R—OH) in concentrated sulfuric
acid (H2SO4) at 140°C removes a molecule of water
from two alcohol molecules, causing the two “R”
groups to become attached to an oxygen atom,

H2SO4 H2O
R OH + R OH R O R +
140°C

H2SO4
CH3CH2OH + CH3CH2OH 140°C CH3CH2OCH2CH3
diethyl ether

30

15
 Examples: Dehydration of Alcohols
• Complete the following reactions:
H2SO4
CH3CH2CH2OH 140°C

H2SO4
CH3CHCH3 140°C

OH

H2SO4
CH3CHCH2CH3 180°C

OH
31

Oxidation of Alcohols to Carbonyl Compounds

• An oxidation reaction occurs when a molecule
loses electrons. This is usually manifested as an
increase in the number of oxygen atoms or a
decrease in the number of hydrogen atoms.
• Some common oxidizing agents include potassium
permanganate (KMnO4), chromic acid (H2CrO4),
sodium dichromate (Na2Cr2O7), and other Cr6+ salts.
• Alcohols can be oxidized by removing two H atoms
from the molecule; the exact products of the reaction
will depend on the type of alcohol.
• Representation in book:
R2CHOH + (O)  R2C=O + H2O
• [O] = oxidation

32

16
Oxidation of Alcohols to Carbonyl
Compounds
• Primary or secondary alcohols can be oxidized to
produce compounds containing the carbonyl
O H O
[O]
R C H C
R R
H aldehyde
or
1° or 2° alcohol ketone

O
carbonyl group
C

33

Oxidation of 1° Alcohols
• Primary alcohols are oxidized first to aldehydes, but
the aldehydes are then usually oxidized into
carboxylic acids.

O H O O
[O] [O]
R C H C C
R H R OH
H aldehyde carboxylic acid
1° alcohol

O O
[O] [O]
CH3CH2OH CH3 C H CH3 C OH
ethanol acetaldehyde acetic acid
In the body, oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde takes
place in the liver; the acetaldehyde is further oxidized to
acetyl coenzyme A, which can be used to synthesize fat
or eventually be oxidized to water and carbon dioxide. 34

17
 Oxidation of 2° Alcohols
• Secondary alcohols are oxidized to ketones,
which cannot be oxidized any further:

O H O
[O]
R C R' C
R R'
H ketone
2° alcohol

OH O
[O]
CH3 CH CH3 CH3 C CH3
2-propanol acetone

35

Oxidation of 3° Alcohols
• Tertiary alcohols, because there is by definition
no hydrogen on the alcoholic carbon, cannot be
oxidized:
OH
[O]
R C R'' no reaction

R'
3° alcohol

OH
[O]
CH3 C CH3 NR

CH3
t-butyl alcohol 36

18
 Examples: Oxidation of Alcohols
• Complete the following reactions:
OH

[O]

CH3 OH

[O]

37

Examples: Oxidation of Alcohols

• Complete the following reactions:
CH2OH
[O]

OH

OH CH2OH

[O] [O]

38

19
 Examples: Multistep Reactions
• Often, transformations on organic molecules
must take place in more than one step.

OH OH

CH3 CH2 CH2 CH3 CH CH3

CH2 CH2 CH3CH2 O CH2CH3 39

Total Synthesis of Cyclooctatetraene R. Wilstatter and E. Waser, Ber.,

HO 1911, 44, 3423
CH3 A. C. Cope and C. G. Overberger,
O O J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1947, 69, 976;
N
1948, 70, 1433
H double O

+ CH3NH2 + Mannich Na
O NCH3 =
reaction EtOH
H

O O pseudopelletierine
O
HO

OH
H2SO4 1) CH3I 
NCH3 NCH3 N(CH3)2
2) Ag2O
OH-

(CH3)2N (CH3)3N OH-

1) CH3I  Br2
2) Ag2O

Br (CH3)2N (CH3)3N
NH(CH 3) 2 1) CH 3I OH- 
2) Ag2O

OH- Cyclooctatetraene 40
Br N(CH3)2 N(CH3)3

20
 Some Important
Alcohols

41

Some Important Alcohols

CH2 CH2 CH2 CH CH3

OH OH OH OH
Ethylene glycol Propylene glycol
antifreeze — pure ethylene glycol freezes at 11°F, antifreeze, moisturizer
but a 50:50 mixture of ethylene glycol and water in lotions and foods
freezes at -37°F; airplane de-icer; humectant (keeps
other substances moist), used in ball point pen inks O

OH
OH
OH
Cinnamic alcohol Lactic acid
used in perfumes, produced from fermentation of
particularly in lilac and other sugars during anaerobic
floral scents; flavoring agent, conditions; sour taste, found in
soaps, cosmetics sourdough bread, pickles,
sauerkraut, sweat, etc. 42

21
 OH

OH

OH
Menthol Benzyl alcohol
-Turpineol oil of mint; has a cooling used in perfumes and flavors,
pine oil; perfume and taste; found in cough cosmetics, ointments, ball
bactericide used in drops, shaving lotion, point pen inks
domestic cleaners and mentholated tobacco

OH
Vitamin A
retinol 43

HO OH RCO2 O2CR

OH O2CR
Glycerol / glycerin A triglyceride
softening agent and moisturizer fats and oils
found is cosmetics and many foods;
used to keep toothpaste moist
CHO

H OH H OH

OHO HO H
HO
H H H OH
H H
H OH
OH OH
-D-glucose CH2OH
44

22
 A Few Sugars
OH OH OH
OH OH OH
OH
O O O

OH
OH OH OH OH
-D-fructose -D-ribose -D-deoxyribose

OH

O
OH
HO
HO O HO
-D-glucose OH
O
OH
Sucrose OH
-D-fructose
(a 45
disaccharide)

OH
O
Polyoxyethylene
a nonionic detergent; produces
less foam, and is more effective
at lower temperatures than
many other detergents
H O

H 2N C C OH
Amino Acids containing alcohols
CH2

H O H O

H 2N C C OH H 2N C C OH
OH CH3 CH OH CH2OH
Tyrosine (Tyr) Threonine (Thr) Serine (Ser)
46

23
 Phenols

47

Characteristics and Uses of

Phenols
• Phenols are usually weak acids:

+ H2O + H3O

• A solution of phenol in water (carbolic acid) can be

used as an antiseptic and disinfectant. Joseph Lister
introduced the use of phenol as a hospital antiseptic
in 1867, which cut down drastically on deaths due
to complications resulting from the use of unsterile
equipment.
“Lister and his carbolic acid ... succeeded in converting hospitals
into something more than elaborate pauses on the way to the
grave.” (Isaac Asimov, Isaac Asimov’s Biographical
48
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, 1972).

24
 Important
OH
Phenols
Other phenols are also
present in Lysol; they
interfere with oxidation
reactions to prevent the
spoiling of food.

ortho-phenylphenol Cl
ingredient in Lysol OH
2-benzyl-4-chlorophenol
OH ingredient in Lysol

CH3 OH
CH3 CH3
CH2(CH2)4CH3
Cl
4-n-hexylresorcinol
4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol found in mouthwash,
49
topical antiseptic throat lozenges

Phenols as
OH Preservatives
CH3
CH3 CH
CH3 OH CH3
CH3
3
C C C
CH3 CH3 CH3

Antioxidants used in
preservation of foods,
gasoline, lubricating
O CH3 oils, rubber, etc. CH3
BHA (butylated hydroxy anisole) BHT (butylated hydroxy toluene)
2-t-butyl-4-methoxyphenol 2,6-di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol
CH3
HO
CH3
CH O
3 Vitamin E
CH3 antioxidant; prevents oxidation of lipids, red and white blood
cells, polyunsaturated fatty acids, lung tissue; prevents
50
oxidation in lungs of pollutants such as NO2 and O3

25
 Phenols in Flavors and
OHFragrances O
Piperine
OCH3 O white and black pepper

CHO O
Vanillin OH
oil of vanilla

HO O

SH

O OH
2-Furylmethanethiol
odor of coffee OH Pelargonidin
a flavonoid; responsible for the red colors of
51
geraniums, ripe raspberries, and strawberries

CH3O
N

H Capsaicin
HO active component of red and
green chili peppers, paprika

OH OH

HO O
Estradiol Testosterone
52

26
 Ethers

53

Ethers
• In the ether functional group, two carbon groups
are connected to a single oxygen.

C O C

an ether

CH3 O CH3 CH3CH2 O CH2CH3

CH3 O CH2CH3 O CH CH3

CH3 54

27
 Ether Nomenclature
• Common names for ethers are obtained by first
naming the two carbon groups attached to the
oxygen (in alphabetical order) and then adding the
word “ether” to the end. If the two groups are the
same, the prefix “di-” is used, although sometimes
this is simply dropped (“ethyl ether”).

• In the IUPAC system, ethers are named as alkoxy

substituents (—OR = alkoxy group). The -yl ending
of alkyl substituents is replaced by -oxy
—CH3 methyl —OCH3 methoxy
—CH2CH3 ethyl —OCH2CH3 ethoxy

55

Examples: Nomenclature of Ethers

• For the following compounds, provide
IUPAC names and trivial names (where
possible).
CH3 O CH3 CH3CH2 O CH3

CH3CH2 O CH2CH3
O CH CH3

CH3

56

28
 Examples: Nomenclature of Ethers
• Name the following compounds:

O OH O CH3 CH3
C
CH3 CH CH CH2 CH O CH3

O CH3

OCH3 O CH2 CH3 CH3

CH3 CH CH2 O CH CH3

57

Examples: Nomenclature of Ethers

• Name the following compounds:

O O

OH O

58

29
 Cyclic Ethers
• Some ethers are found in cyclic structures. (A ring
that contains elements other than carbon is called a
heterocyclic ring.)
O

O O
furan tetrahydrofuran pyran

• Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is a common solvent in

organic reactions, often used in place of
diethyl ether; furan and pyran turn up
frequently in carbohydrate chemistry.

59

Physical Properties of Ethers

• Alcohols hydrogen-bond to each other because
they have highly polar O—H bonds.
• Ethers do not have O—H bonds, and so do not
hydrogen-bond to each other.

R R
H R
O H O R
O R O R
H O R O
R R
O H O R
R R
alcohols ethers
hydrogen bonding no hydrogen
bonding
60

30
 Physical Properties of Ethers
• Ethers are slightly polar, and can hydrogen-bond to
water, although very weakly, through the oxygen
atom:
R H H R
O O O

R R

• Ethers therefore have low boiling points, and

a higher solubility in water than hydrocarbons.
• Ethers are inert to most reagents, so they make
good solvent for chemical reactions.
• Some ethers make good anesthetics.
boiling point: alcohols > ethers > alkanes
water solubility: alcohols > ethers > alkanes 61

O Some Important
H2C CH2 Ethers
O
Ethylene oxide
an epoxide
O O
O CH3

CH3 C CH3

CH3 O O
methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) O
A common gasoline additive used as an
octane booster to oxygenate the gas, and
make it burn with less "knocking." It has 18-crown-6
been used since 1979 as a replacement for A "crown ether" (Charles J.
tetraethyl lead (leaded gasoline). This Pedersen, Donald J. Cram, and
additive is the subject of intense debate Jean-Marie Lehn, Nobel Prize,
because of potential health hazards of 1987), which is capable of
drinking water contaminated with MTBE binding metal ions
62

31
 Anesthetic
N 2O s CHCl3
Nitrous oxide Chloroform
laughing gas (James Young Simpson,
first chemical anesthetic 1846; first to use anesthesia
(Sir Humphrey Davy, 1800) during childbirth)

O O
Diethyl ether Divinyl ether
first common anesthetic faster acting and less
(Crawford W. Long, 1842 nauseating than diethyl ether
William T. G. Morton,
Charles T. Jackson, 1844)

F Br F

Cl H C C F
F O
Enflurane Cl F
Halothane 63

Polyfunctional Compounds
• Compounds with more than one functional group
are very common in nature; these polyfunctional
molecules possess all of the reactivity of their
individual functional groups.

O O
OH
Cholesterol O

HO HN O
O
OH H
O HO O
O O O
H H OH H O Taxol
HO CH2 C C C C C
Glucose H
OH OH H OH 64

32
 Thiols

65

Thiols
• Sulfur is in the same group on the periodic table
as oxygen, and so forms many compounds which
are similar to oxygen:

R OH R SH R S S R
an alcohol a thiol a disulfide

• Many thiols have strong, unpleasant odors.

Ethanethiol, for instance, is added to natural gas
to make it possible to detect gas leaks:

CH3CH2SH
ethanethiol

66

33
 A Few Interesting Thiols
CH2 CHCH2SH
Allyl thiol
CH3CH2CH2SH
Propanethiol CH2=CHCH2 S CH2CH=CH2
lachrymator produced Allyl sulfide
when onions are cut These compounds are
partially responsible for the
odor and flavor of garlic.

O The amino acid cysteine is found in many proteins;

the SH group can link with other SH groups to form
H3N CH C O disulfide bridges.
– Disulfide linkages are important structural
features of some proteins, especially those of hair.
CH2 SH
Cysteine (Cys) – Enzymes containing SH groups can be damaged
by complexation with heavy metals such as lead
and mercury.
67

A Few Interesting
Thiols
CH3 H CH3

CH2CH2CHCH3 C C

CH3 S S CH2 H
SH

H CH3
C C

HS CH2 H

68

34
 Gas Warfare
O

Cl2 C
Cl Cl
Chlorine Phosgene

Chlorine gas and phosgene are among the first agents to have been
used in gas warfare. Molecular chlorine is a gas at room temperature,
and heavier than air; breathing chlorine gas causes pulmonary edema
(swelling from excess fluid in tissues).
Phosgene is a particularly insidious poison, since symptoms may take
from one to three days to appear. The gas does not have as obvious
an odor as chlorine, and when inhaled, is hydrolyzed in the lungs to
produce hydrochloric acid, which dissolves the membranes in the
lungs. This can result in edema, blood loss, shock, and respiratory
failure. Phosgene must be inhaled to be “effective,” since it cannot be
absorbed through the skin.

69

Gas Warfare
S
Cl Cl
Mustard gas
Mustard gas is a chemical weapon first used in 1917 during World
War I at the battle of Ypres. It has a sweet, agreeable odor, similar to
that of mustard, but the similarity ends there.
It forms painful blisters on the skin (a vesicant) on contact, and in the
lungs when inhaled; symptoms usually develop anywhere from 4 to
24 hours after exposure. Exposure produces deep, itching or burning
blisters, swelling of the eyelids, and possibly blindness; inhalation at
high concentrations damages the mucous membranes, causing
bleeding and blistering within the lungs, leading to pulmonary edema.
It is also carcinogenic and mutagenic (causes damage to DNA).
Mustard gas is not very soluble in water but is very soluble in fat,
contributing to its rapid absorption into the skin. It easily penetrated
the early forms of protective clothing and gas masks.
Modern “improvements” include using longer carbon chains to make
the molecule more hydrocarbon-like (and thus more fat-soluble).
Nitrogen mustards have nitrogen atoms in place of the sulfur atom.
70

35
 Reactions of
Alcohols
R R R R
H2SO4
R C C R 180°C C C + H2 O

H OH R R

2. Dehydration of alcohols to give ethers:

H2SO4
R OH R O R + H2O
140°C

3. Oxidation of a primary alcohol to give an aldehyde or carboxylic acid:

H O O
[O] [O]
R C O H C C
R H R OH
H aldehyde carboxylic acid
1° alcohol 71

4. Oxidation of a secondary alcohol to give a ketone:

H O
[O]
R C O H C
R R'
R' ketone
2° alcohol

5. Oxidation of a tertiary alcohol — No Reaction:

R''
[O]
R C O H NR

R'
3° alcohol

72

36
 Functional
Groups
R R''' OH

C C

CH3CH2CH3 R' R''

alkene
alkane
aromatic ring phenol
R C C R'
alkyne

O O O

R O R' R C H R C R' R C OH
ether aldehyde ketone carboxylic acid
73

H H R''

R C O H R C O H R C O H

H R' R'
primary (1°) secondary (2°) tertiary (3°)
alcohol alcohol alcohol

OH OR'' OH OR'''

R C H R C H R C R' R C R'

OR' OR' OR'' OR''

hemiacetal acetal hemiketal ketal

74

37