Nomenclature of Alcohols
They are named by replacing the -o ending of alkanes with -ol. The longest chain containing the hydroxyl group is taken as the main chain and is numbered giving it the lowest possible locator.
Acidity and Basicity of Alcohols
Alcohols are acidic; the hydrogen of the -OH group has a pKa of 16.
Physical Properties
Melting and boiling points are high due to the formation of hydrogen bonds.
Synthesis of Alcohols
They are obtained through nucleophilic substitution and by reduction of aldehydes and ketones. The attack of organometallic reagents on electrophiles -carbonyls, epoxides, esters- is an important method in the synthesis of alcohols.
Obtaining Haloalkanes from Alcohols
Alcohols are transformed into haloalkanes by reaction with PBr3. The mechanism is of the SN2 type and requires primary or secondary alcohols.
Oxidation of Alcohols
Chromium trioxide oxidizes primary alcohols to carboxylic acids and secondary alcohols to ketones. Other oxidants such as potassium permanganate or potassium dichromate can also be used.
Formation of Alkoxides
Strong bases deprotonate alcohols to form alkoxides. Organolithium or organomagnesium compounds, LDA, sodium hydrides, and even sodium metal can be used.