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alcohol

alcohol, any of a class of organic compounds TABLE OF CONTENTS

characterized by one or more hydroxyl (―OH) groups
attached to a carbon atom of an alkyl group Introduction

(hydrocarbon chain). Alcohols may be considered as Structure and classification of alcohols

organic derivatives of water (H2O) in which one of Physical properties of alcohols
the hydrogen atoms has been replaced by an alkyl Commercially important alcohols
group, typically represented by R in organic
Sources of alcohols
structures. For example, in ethanol (or ethyl alcohol)
Reactions of alcohols
the alkyl group is the ethyl group, ―CH2CH3.

Alcohols are among the most common organic compounds. They are used as sweeteners and in making
perfumes, are valuable intermediates in the synthesis of other compounds, and are among the most abundantly
produced organic chemicals in industry. Perhaps the two best-known alcohols are ethanol and methanol (or
methyl alcohol). Ethanol is used in toiletries, pharmaceuticals, and fuels, and it is used to sterilize hospital
instruments. It is, moreover, the alcohol in alcoholic beverages. The anesthetic ether is also made from
ethanol. Methanol is used as a solvent, as a raw material for the manufacture of formaldehyde and special
resins, in special fuels, in antifreeze, and for cleaning metals.

Alcohols may be classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary, according to which carbon of the alkyl group is
bonded to the hydroxyl group. Most alcohols are colourless liquids or solids at room temperature. Alcohols of
low molecular weight are highly soluble in water; with increasing molecular weight, they become less soluble
in water, and their boiling points, vapour pressures, densities, and viscosities increase.

This article covers the structure and classification, physical properties, commercial importance, sources, and
reactions of alcohols. For more information about closely related compounds, see chemical compound,
phenol, and ether.

Structure and classification of alcohols

Similar to water, an alcohol can be pictured as having an sp3 hybridized tetrahedral oxygen atom with

nonbonding pairs of electrons occupying two of the four sp3 hybrid orbitals. (See chemical bonding for a
discussion of hybrid orbitals.) Alkyl groups are generally bulkier than hydrogen atoms, however, so the
R―O―H bond angle in alcohols is generally larger than the 104.5° H―O―H bond angle in water. For

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example, the 108.9° bond angle in methanol shows the effect of the methyl group, which is larger than the
hydrogen atom of water.

One way of classifying alcohols is based on which carbon atom is bonded to the hydroxyl group. If this
carbon is primary (1°, bonded to only one other carbon atom), the compound is a primary alcohol. A
secondary alcohol has the hydroxyl group on a secondary (2°) carbon atom, which is bonded to two other
carbon atoms. Similarly, a tertiary alcohol has the hydroxyl group on a tertiary (3°) carbon atom, which is
bonded to three other carbons. Alcohols are referred to as allylic or benzylic if the hydroxyl group is bonded
to an allylic carbon atom (adjacent to a C=C double bond) or a benzylic carbon atom (next to a benzene ring),
respectively.

Nomenclature
As with other types of organic compounds, alcohols are named by both formal and common systems. The
most generally applicable system is that adopted at a meeting of the International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry (IUPAC) in Paris in 1957. Using the IUPAC system, the name for an alcohol uses the -ol suffix
with the name of the parent alkane, together with a number to give the location of the hydroxyl group. The
rules are summarized in a three-step procedure:

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1. Name the longest carbon chain that contains the carbon atom bearing the ―OH group. Drop the final -
e from the alkane name, and add the suffix -ol.
2. Number the longest carbon chain starting at the end nearest the ―OH group, and use the appropriate
number, if necessary, to indicate the position of the ―OH group.
3. Name the substituents, and give their numbers as for an alkane or alkene.

The first example below has a longest chain of six carbon atoms, so the root name is hexanol. The ―OH
group is on the third carbon atom, which is indicated by the name 3-hexanol. There is a methyl group on
carbon 3 and a chlorine atom on carbon 2. The complete IUPAC name is 2-chloro-3-methyl-3-hexanol. The
prefix cyclo- is used for alcohols with cyclic alkyl groups. The hydroxyl group is assumed to be on carbon 1,
and the ring is numbered in the direction to give the lowest possible numbers to the other substituents, as in,
for example, 2,2-dimethylcyclopentanol.

Common names
The common name of an alcohol combines the name of the alkyl group with the word alcohol. If the alkyl
group is complex, the common name becomes awkward and the IUPAC name should be used. Common
names often incorporate obsolete terms in the naming of the alkyl group; for example, amyl is frequently used
instead of pentyl for a five-carbon chain.

Physical properties of alcohols

Most of the common alcohols are colourless liquids at room temperature. Methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and
isopropyl alcohol are free-flowing liquids with fruity odours. The higher alcohols—those containing 4 to 10
carbon atoms—are somewhat viscous, or oily, and they have heavier fruity odours. Some of the highly
branched alcohols and many alcohols containing more than 12 carbon atoms are solids at room temperature.

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Physical properties of selected alcohols

IUPAC name common name formula mp (°C)

methanol methyl alcohol CH3OH −97

ethanol ethyl alcohol CH3CH2OH −114

1-propanol n-propyl alcohol CH3CH2CH2OH −126

2-propanol isopropyl alcohol (CH3)2CHOH −89

1-butanol n-butyl alcohol CH3(CH2)3OH −90

2-butanol sec-butyl alcohol (CH3)CH(OH)CH2CH3 −114

2-methyl-1-propanol isobutyl alcohol (CH3)2CHCH2OH −108

2-methyl-2-propanol t-butyl alcohol (CH3)3COH 25

1-pentanol n-pentyl alcohol CH3(CH2)4OH −79

3-methyl-1-butanol isopentyl alcohol (CH3)2CHCH2CH2OH −117

2,2-dimethyl-1-propanol neopentyl alcohol (CH3)3CCH2OH 52

cyclopentanol cyclopentyl alcohol cyclo-C5H9OH −19

1-hexanol n-hexanol CH3(CH2)5OH −52

cyclohexanol cyclohexyl alcohol cyclo-C6H11OH 25

1-heptanol n-heptyl alcohol CH3(CH2)6OH −34

1-octanol n-octyl alcohol CH3(CH2)7OH −16

1-nonanol n-nonyl alcohol CH3(CH2)8OH −6

1-decanol n-decyl alcohol CH3(CH2)9OH 6

2-propen-1-ol allyl alcohol H2C=CH−CH2OH −129

phenylmethanol benzyl alcohol Ph−CH2OH* −15

diphenylmethanol diphenylcarbinol Ph2CHOH* 69

triphenylmethanol triphenylcarbinol Ph3COH* 162

IUPAC name bp (°C) density (grams per millilitre) solubility in water

methanol 65 0.79 miscible
ethanol 78 0.79 miscible
1-propanol 97 0.80 miscible
2-propanol 82 0.79 miscible
1-butanol 118 0.81 9.1%
2-butanol 100 0.81 7.7%
2-methyl-1-propanol 108 0.80 10.0%
*Ph represents the phenyl group, C6H5—.

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IUPAC name common name formula mp (°C)

2-methyl-2-propanol 83 0.79 miscible
1-pentanol 138 0.82 2.7%
3-methyl-1-butanol 132 0.81 2.0%
2,2-dimethyl-1-propanol 113 0.81 3.5%
cyclopentanol 141 0.95
1-hexanol 156 0.82 0.6%
cyclohexanol 162 0.96 3.6%
1-heptanol 176 0.82 0.1%
1-octanol 194 0.83
1-nonanol 214 0.83
1-decanol 233 0.83
2-propen-1-ol 97 0.86
phenylmethanol 205 1.05
diphenylmethanol 298
triphenylmethanol 380 1.20
*Ph represents the phenyl group, C6H5—.

The boiling points of alcohols are much higher than those of alkanes with similar molecular weights. For
example, ethanol, with a molecular weight (MW) of 46, has a boiling point of 78 °C (173 °F), whereas
propane (MW 44) has a boiling point of −42 °C (−44 °F). Such a large difference in boiling points indicates
that molecules of ethanol are attracted to one another much more strongly than are propane molecules. Most
of this difference results from the ability of ethanol and other alcohols to form intermolecular hydrogen
bonds. (See chemical bonding: Intermolecular forces for a discussion of hydrogen bonding.)

The oxygen atom of the strongly polarized O―H bond of an alcohol pulls electron density away from the
hydrogen atom. This polarized hydrogen, which bears a partial positive charge, can form a hydrogen bond
with a pair of nonbonding electrons on another oxygen atom. Hydrogen bonds, with a strength of about 5
kilocalories (21 kilojoules) per mole, are much weaker than normal covalent bonds, with bond energies of
about 70 to 110 kilocalories per mole. (The amount of energy per mole that is required to break a given bond
is called its bond energy.)

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Water and alcohols have similar properties because water molecules contain hydroxyl groups that can form
hydrogen bonds with other water molecules and with alcohol molecules, and likewise alcohol molecules can
form hydrogen bonds with other alcohol molecules as well as with water. Because alcohols form hydrogen
bonds with water, they tend to be relatively soluble in water. The hydroxyl group is referred to as a
hydrophilic (“water-loving”) group, because it forms hydrogen bonds with water and enhances the solubility
of an alcohol in water. Methanol, ethanol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and t-butyl alcohol are all
miscible with water. Alcohols with higher molecular weights tend to be less water-soluble, because the
hydrocarbon part of the molecule, which is hydrophobic (“water-hating”), is larger with increased molecular
weight. Because they are strongly polar, alcohols are better solvents than hydrocarbons for ionic compounds
and other polar substances.

Commercially important alcohols

Methanol
Methanol (methyl alcohol) was originally produced by heating wood chips in the absence of air. Some of the
carbohydrates in the wood are broken down to form methanol, and the methanol vapour is then condensed.
This process led to the name wood alcohol as another common name for methanol. Methanol is synthesized
commercially by a catalytic reaction of carbon monoxide (CO) with hydrogen gas (H2) under high
temperature and pressure.

The mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen needed to make methanol can be generated by the partial
burning of coal in the presence of water. By carefully regulating the amount of water added, the correct ratio
of carbon monoxide to hydrogen can be obtained.

Methanol has excellent properties as a polar organic solvent and is widely used as an industrial solvent. It is
more toxic than ethanol, however, and may cause blindness or death if large amounts are inhaled or ingested.

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Methanol has a high octane rating and a low emission of pollutants—characteristics that make it a valuable
fuel for automobile engines. From the late 1960s until 2006, the cars at the Indianapolis 500, the automobile
race held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, were powered by methanol-burning engines.
Methanol was once under consideration as a commercial motor fuel because it is cheaper than ethanol and can
be made from natural gas and coal resources. However, increasing interest in ethanol-based fuels and
difficulties involving the solvent properties of methanol, which cause problems with fuel systems—especially
in fuel-injected cars—have resulted in diminished commercial interest in methanol fuels. Methanol tends to
dissolve the plastic and rubber components employed in modern fuel systems, and different materials must be
used that can survive exposure to methanol over long periods of time without dissolving or cracking.

Ethanol
Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) has been produced since prehistoric times, mostly through the fermentation of fruit
juices. The fermented juice could be stored in a sealed container, and this primitive wine remained safe to
drink throughout the winter. Many different sources can provide the sugars and starches that are broken down
to simpler compounds during fermentation. Ethanol is called grain alcohol because it is often made from
grains, such as corn (maize), wheat, rye, and barley. The grain is first boiled in water to produce the mash,
which is incubated with malt (sprouted barley) to yield the wort. Malt provides an enzyme (diastase) that
converts starches in the grain to the sugar maltose. The wort is incubated with brewer’s yeast, which secretes
the enzyme maltase to convert maltose to glucose and the enzyme zymase to convert glucose to ethanol. Two
of the six carbon atoms in glucose are oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO2); this oxidation provides energy to the
yeast cells.

Fermentation yields a solution that is only about 12–15 percent alcohol because higher concentrations are
toxic to the yeast cells. This solution can be distilled, however, to raise the ethanol content to as high as 95
percent.

Fermentation is a relatively expensive method of making ethanol. Industrial ethanol is more commonly
synthesized by the high-temperature catalytic addition of water to ethylene (C2H4).

Ethanol is an excellent motor fuel with a high octane rating and low emissions; however, it should be used in
a fuel system designed to withstand the alcohol’s tendency to dissolve plastic parts. Solutions of 10 percent

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ethanol in gasoline (gasohol) can be used in most cars without any adjustments. Today, ethanol fuels are
typically made from natural products, such as corn or sugar.

Isopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol (2-propanol) is made by indirect hydration of propylene (CH2CHCH3). Isopropyl alcohol is
commonly used as an industrial solvent and as a rubbing alcohol applied to the skin. Although isopropyl
alcohol is more toxic than ethanol, it has less of a drying effect on the skin, and it is not regulated and taxed
by the U.S. government as is ethanol.

Ethylene glycol
The name ethylene glycol refers literally to “the glycol made from ethylene.” Its systematic name is ethane-
1,2-diol. Ethylene glycol is commonly used as automotive antifreeze and as an ingredient in hydraulic fluids,
printing inks, and paint solvents. It is also used as a reagent in making polyesters, explosives, alkyd resins,
and synthetic waxes.

Glycerol
Glycerol (also called glycerine) is a sweet syrupy substance with three alcohol hydroxyl groups. Its systematic
name is propane-1,2,3-triol. Glycerol was first obtained as a by-product of soap manufacture, through the
saponification (hydrolysis in base) of fats. About 25 kg (60 pounds) of glycerol is obtained with each ton of
soap. It can also be obtained by fermentation from molasses and sugar. During World War II, large quantities
of glycerol were needed for the production of glyceryl trinitrate (nitroglycerin); this need was met by
synthetic glycerol made from propylene, CH2=CH―CH3.

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A large amount of glycerol is still used for making nitroglycerin, which is the primary explosive in dynamite
and blasting gelatin. Nitroglycerin is also used as a coronary vasodilator (a drug that relaxes and expands
blood vessels) for symptomatic relief of chest pain caused by poor circulation to the heart. Glycerol is also
used as a solvent, moisturizing agent, plasticizer, antifreeze, and water-soluble lubricant. It is found in a wide
variety of products, including foods, soaps, cosmetics, printing inks, hydraulic fluids, and pharmaceuticals.

Sources of alcohols
Natural products
The common sources of methanol, ethanol, and isopropyl
alcohol have been discussed above. Larger, more complicated
alcohols are often isolated from volatile oils of plants by the
process of steam distillation. The plant material is boiled in
water, and the volatile oils are carried over by the steam,
condensed, and separated from the water. Substances such as
cholesterol, found in most animal tissues (and abundant in egg
yolks), and retinol (vitamin A alcohol), extracted from fish liver
oils, are examples of naturally occurring sources of alcohols.

cholesterol

Cholesterol, found in most animal

tissues and in egg yolks, contains a
hydroxyl group (―OH), making it a
naturally occurring source of alcohol.

peppermint

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is a

natural source of menthol.

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Long-chain alcohols can be obtained from fats and waxes by hydrolysis in base, called saponification,
followed by reduction.

Reduction of carbonyl compounds

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The addition of two hydrogen atoms to a carbonyl group produces an alcohol. This is an example of a
reduction. Ketones, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids are reduced by the catalytic addition of gaseous hydrogen
(H2) or by a wide variety of specific reducing agents, such as lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) and sodium
borohydride (NaBH4).

Hydration of alkenes
The addition of water (hydration) across the double bond of an alkene yields an alcohol. Alkenes are available
as products of coal tar and petroleum refining, and a variety of catalytic conditions can support the addition of
water across the double bond. In most cases, water adds in the direction that places the new hydroxyl group
on the more highly substituted end of the double bond according to the Markovnikov rule, as in acid-
catalyzed hydrations. (The more highly substituted end of the double bond is the one that is bonded to more
carbon atoms.)

Hydroboration-oxidation is also useful for adding water across the double bond of an alkene; however,
hydroboration-oxidation gives an anti-Markovnikov orientation of the addition product, with the hydroxyl
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group adding to the less-substituted end of the double bond.

Alkenes may be converted to diols (dialcohols) by oxidizing agents such as potassium permanganate
(KMnO4).

These oxidations must be carried out carefully to avoid overoxidation and breaking of the double bond.

Displacement of halides
A hydroxide ion can displace a halide ion from a primary alkyl halide (RCH2X, where X is a halogen) to give
an alcohol. This displacement reaction is not frequently used to synthesize alcohols, however, because alkyl
halides are more commonly synthesized from alcohols rather than vice versa.

Using Grignard and organolithium reagents

Grignard and organolithium reagents are powerful tools for organic synthesis, and the most common products
of their reactions are alcohols. A Grignard reagent is formed by reaction of an alkyl halide (RX, where X is a
halogen) with magnesium metal (Mg) in an ether solution. The product is written as R―Mg―X, although
Grignard reagents are known to be more complicated than this simple structure suggests. Organolithium
reagents (RLi) are formed in much the same way as Grignard reagents, except that an ether solvent is not
required. Most reactions of organolithium reagents are similar to those of Grignard reagents; however, there
are some important differences.

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Grignard reagents add to carbonyl compounds (i.e., compounds containing the C=O functional group) to
produce magnesium alkoxides (ROMgX) that are hydrolyzed to alcohols. A wide variety of alcohols can be
synthesized by Grignard additions. A Grignard reagent adds to formaldehyde to give a primary alcohol with
one additional carbon atom, to an aldehyde to give a secondary alcohol, and to a ketone to yield a tertiary
alcohol.

Grignard reagents add twice to esters to give alcohols (upon hydrolysis). This technique is valuable for
making secondary and tertiary alcohols with two identical alkyl groups. They also add to epoxides, yielding
primary alcohols in which two additional carbon atoms have been added to the chain of the Grignard reagent.

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Reactions of alcohols
Because alcohols are easily synthesized and easily transformed into other compounds, they serve as important
intermediates in organic synthesis. A multistep synthesis may use Grignard-like reactions to form an alcohol
with the desired carbon structure, followed by reactions to convert the hydroxyl group of the alcohol to the
desired functionality. The most common reactions of alcohols can be classified as oxidation, dehydration,
substitution, esterification, and reactions of alkoxides.

Oxidation
Alcohols may be oxidized to give ketones, aldehydes, and
carboxylic acids. These functional groups are useful for further
reactions; for example, ketones and aldehydes can be used in
subsequent Grignard reactions, and carboxylic acids can be used
for esterification. Oxidation of organic compounds generally
increases the number of bonds from carbon to oxygen (or
another electronegative element, such as a halogen), and it may
decrease the number of bonds to hydrogen.

Secondary alcohols are easily oxidized without breaking carbon-

carbon bonds only as far as the ketone stage. No further
oxidation of alcohols
oxidation is seen except under very stringent conditions. Tertiary
Alcohols may be oxidized to give alcohols cannot be oxidized at all without breaking carbon-
aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic
carbon bonds, whereas primary alcohols can be oxidized to
acids. The oxidation of organic
compounds generally increases the aldehydes or further oxidized to carboxylic acids.
number of bonds from carbon to
oxygen, and it may decrease the
number of bonds to hydrogen.

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Chromic acid (H2CrO4, generated by mixing sodium dichromate, Na2Cr2O7, with sulfuric acid, H2SO4) is an
effective oxidizing agent for most alcohols. It is a strong oxidant, and it oxidizes the alcohol as far as possible
without breaking carbon-carbon bonds. Chromic acid oxidizes primary alcohols to carboxylic acids, and it
oxidizes secondary alcohols to ketones. Tertiary alcohols do not react with chromic acid under mild
conditions. With a higher temperature or a more concentrated acid, carbon-carbon bonds may be oxidized;
however, yields from such strong oxidations are usually poor.

Oxidizing a primary alcohol only as far as the aldehyde stage is more difficult because of the ease with which
aldehydes are oxidized to acids. Special reagents have been developed to convert primary alcohols to
aldehydes. Pyridinium chlorochromate, often abbreviated PCC, is a milder oxidant than chromic acid and
oxidizes most primary alcohols to aldehydes. PCC is a complex of chromium trioxide (CrO3) with pyridine
(C5H5N) and hydrogen chloride (HCl), written as pyridine ∙ CrO3 ∙ HCl.

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Biological oxidation
All substances are toxic if taken in large enough quantities, and alcohols are no exception. Although ethanol is
less toxic than methanol, it is nonetheless a poisonous substance, and many people die each year from ethanol
poisoning. When someone is suffering from mild ethanol poisoning, the person is said to be intoxicated.
Because animals often consume food that has fermented and contains ethanol, their bodies have developed
methods to remove or detoxify ethanol before it can accumulate and poison the brain. One way the body
detoxifies ethanol is to oxidize it, using an enzyme produced by the liver, alcohol dehydrogenase, or ADH.
Alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde, which is further oxidized to acetic
acid (as the acetate ion), a normal metabolite. The actual oxidizing agent is the oxidized form of nicotinamide

adenine dinucleotide, NAD+.

The body’s response to simple alcohols is to oxidize them. This strategy works well with ethanol, because the
product is acetate, a normal metabolite. When other alcohols are ingested, however, oxidation may lead to

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other toxic products. For example, oxidation of methanol produces formaldehyde and subsequently formic
acid (as the formate ion); both of these products are more toxic than methanol itself. Ethylene glycol
(automotive antifreeze) is oxidized to oxalic acid (as the oxalate ion), the toxic compound found in rhubarb
leaves and many other plants. Ethylene glycol has a sweet taste, and many dogs and cats are poisoned each
year by drinking automotive antifreeze that has been carelessly discarded.

One common treatment for methanol or ethylene glycol poisoning is to give the patient intravenous infusions
of diluted ethanol. The ADH enzyme is kept occupied by oxidizing ethanol to acetic acid, giving the kidneys
time to excrete most of the methanol or ethylene glycol before it is oxidized to more toxic compounds. This is
an example of competitive inhibition of an enzyme (see poison: Nature of a toxic substance).

Dehydration to alkenes
Converting an alcohol to an alkene requires removal of the hydroxyl group and a hydrogen atom on the
neighbouring carbon atom. Because the elements of water are removed, this reaction is called a dehydration.
Dehydrations are most commonly carried out by warming the alcohol in the presence of a strong dehydrating
acid, such as concentrated sulfuric acid.

Most alcohol dehydrations take place by the mechanism shown below. Protonation of the hydroxyl group
allows it to leave as a water molecule. The species that remains has a carbon atom with only three bonds and a
positive charge and is called a carbocation. This intermediate species can be stabilized by loss of a proton
from a carbon atom adjacent to the positively charged carbon ion, giving the alkene.

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Because they involve carbocation intermediates, alcohol dehydrations go more quickly and easily if they form
relatively stable carbocations. More highly substituted carbocations are more stable (3° > 2° > 1°); therefore,
more highly substituted alcohols undergo dehydration more readily than less highly substituted alcohols (3° >
2° > 1°). Carbocations can undergo rearrangements in which an alkyl group, aryl group, or hydrogen atom,
along with its bonding electrons, shifts to the positively charged carbon atom to form a more stable species.
Rearrangements are thus a common nuisance in alcohol dehydrations. If more than one alkene can be formed
in a dehydration, the major product is usually the product with the most highly substituted double bond
(Saytzeff’s rule).

Dehydration to ethers
Under carefully controlled conditions, simple alcohols can undergo intermolecular dehydration to give ethers.
This reaction is effective only with methanol, ethanol, and other simple primary alcohols, but it is the most
economical method for making ethyl ether (also known as diethyl ether), an important industrial solvent.

Substitution to form alkyl halides

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Alkyl halides are often synthesized from alcohols, in effect substituting a halogen atom for the hydroxyl
group. Hydrochloric (HCl), hydrobromic (HBr), and hydroiodic (HI) acids are useful reagents for this
substitution, giving their best yields with tertiary alcohols. Thionyl chloride (SOCl2), phosphorus tribromide
(PBr3), and phosphorus triiodide (generated from phosphorus, P, and molecular iodine, I2) are also useful for
making alkyl chlorides, bromides, and iodides, respectively.

Esterification
Alcohols can combine with many kinds of acids to form esters. When no type of acid is specified, the word
ester is assumed to mean a carboxylic ester, the ester of an alcohol and a carboxylic acid. The reaction, called
Fischer esterification, is characterized by the combining of an alcohol and an acid (with acid catalysis) to
yield an ester plus water.

Under appropriate conditions, inorganic acids also react with alcohols to form esters. To form these esters, a
wide variety of specialized reagents and conditions can be used.

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Acidity of alcohols: formation of alkoxides

Alcohols are weak acids. The most acidic simple alcohols (methanol and ethanol) are about as acidic as water,
and most other alcohols are somewhat less acidic.

A strong base can deprotonate an alcohol to yield an alkoxide ion (R―O−). For example, sodamide (NaNH2),
a very strong base, abstracts the hydrogen atom of an alcohol. Metallic sodium (Na) or potassium (K) is often
used to form an alkoxide by reducing the proton to hydrogen gas.

Alkoxides can be useful reagents. For example, the most common synthesis of ethers involves the attack of an
alkoxide ion on an alkyl halide. This method is called Williamson ether synthesis (see ether).

Leroy G. Wade

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Citation Information
Article Title: alcohol
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 03 May 2024
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Access Date: September 16, 2024

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