Alcohols

Alcohols are a key functional group is synthesis (creating other organic compounds). Our main focus is on classification (primary, secondary and tertiary).

FUNCTIONAL GROUP: -OH

GENERAL FORMULA: C_nH_2n+1OH (non-cyclic)

Nomenclature (Naming)

Alcohols have the suffix "-anol". For example, methanol has one carbon atom and an -OH group.

Once we get to three carbons, we need to identify where the -OH group is.

Note that we number the side chains after we number the carbons based upon where the -OH group is (put the -OH) group on the lowest possible number within the longest carbon chain.

This video goes through nomenclature in a lot more detail:

Classification

The isomers above can be classified as primary, secondary or tertiary. This becomes very important when we look at the reactions and properties of alcohols (in our external). They also give some different peaks in spectroscopy, which can be useful for selecting and/or eliminating possible structures in our internal.

To decide its classification, we look at the carbon the -OH group is bound to. How many other carbon atoms is it bound to?

 

1 = primary

2 = secondary

3= tertiary