Alcohols

Alcohols Introduction Alcohols are a group of compounds which have a hydroxyl group joined to either an alkyl group or a cycloalkyl group. A hydroxyl group is an OH joined to a carbon atom and a cycloalkyl group is a ring of six carbon atoms that is arranged in a hexagonal shape. Naming alcohols Naming alcohols is not difficult. Basically, you identify the longest chain of carbon atoms. Then you take the name of the …

…tertiary alcohols Tertiary alcohols cannot be oxidised simply with acidified potassium dichromate(VI) because there are no C - H bonds left to remove. Therefore, there is no reaction. Reaction of sodium with alcohol The reaction of sodium with alcohols is simple. Look at the hydrogen in the alcohol. This hydrogen is simply displaced by the sodium. The products of the reaction are a sodium alkoxide and hydrogen. The RO- bit is the alkoxide ion.