Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: jacks on March 03, 2019, 01:00:34 PM
-
I need to know why a primary alcohol would react quicker than a secondary alcohol. I want to say that it is because the primary alcohol has more hydrogen atoms to give up but I want to make sure that I am not wrong in that assessment. The primary is butanol, and the secondary is 2-propanol if that helps answer my question. Thanks in advance.
-
Alkyl groups stablelize, so the secundary alcohol react slower. tert. alcoholes very stable no oxidation happen.
-
just to make sure I understand. Would it be fair to say that the primary alcohol has more unstable ch bonds to react with when compared to the secondary, and that is why it reacts faster?
-
Primary alcohol has only one alkyl group so only less I-effect. Stability is more less, oxidation of C-H is more easier.
-
So. The greater stability of the secondary alcohol makes it harder to oxidize it? Can you explain how alkyl groups increase stability. Everything I can find online is kind of confusing. Thanks.