alcohol

• What functional group do alcohols contain?

  • OH group
• What is the general formula for alcohols?


  C$_n$H$_{2n+1}$OH
• What are the two main methods for producing alcohols?

  • Hydration of alkenes
  • Fermentation of sugars
• How are alcohols produced from alkenes?

  Through hydration in the presence of an acid catalyst
• What acid is commonly used as a catalyst in the hydration method?

  Phosphoric acid
• What conditions are required for the hydration method of alcohol production?

  Aqueous conditions at 300°C and high pressures
• Why is the hydration method favored as an industrial process?

  It has a very high percentage yield with ethanol as the only product
• What is the process of fermentation in alcohol production?

  Enzymes break down starch into sugars which are then fermented
• Why is fermentation considered cheaper than hydration?

  It can be carried out at a lower temperature
• What is a disadvantage of the fermentation process?


  It is a much slower process with a lower percentage yield
• What is ethanol commonly produced from fermentation known as?

  A biofuel
• Why is ethanol considered carbon neutral?

  The carbon emitted when burned equals the carbon absorbed by crops during growth
• What types of alcohols can be oxidized?

  Primary (1°) and secondary (2°) alcohols
• What happens to 1° alcohols when heated with acidified potassium dichromate?

  They can be oxidized to produce aldehydes
• What occurs when 1° alcohols are heated further under reflux conditions?

  They oxidize further to produce carboxylic acids
• What do 2° alcohols produce when oxidized with acidified potassium dichromate?

  Ketones
• What is the role of potassium dichromate in the oxidation of alcohols?

  It acts as the oxidizing agent
• What color change indicates the oxidation of alcohols using potassium dichromate?

  From orange to green
• What is the dehydration process of alcohols to form alkenes?


  • A molecule of water is removed
  • Excess hot sulfuric acid is added
  • Aluminium oxide is used as a catalyst
• How do H$^+$ ions act in the dehydration reaction of alcohols?


  They are reformed in the reaction, acting as a catalyst
• How does fermentation contribute to the production of addition polymers?


  • Fermentation produces primary alcohol
  • Primary alcohol is dehydrated to produce an alkene
  • Alkenes are used in the production of addition polymers