Simple answer ... you need at least one hydrogen attached to carbinol carbon. in other words, you have a hydrogen on the oxygen to give you the hydroxyl group that is attached to the carbinol carbon, but you also need a hydrogen coming off that carbon. The reason - your reagent, such as chromic acid, joins with the alcohol at the position of the hydroxyl group, which leads to an H2O molecule being shot off. The chromic acid provides the -OH of that water, but takes the H off the hydroxyl group to get the 2nd hydrogen atom. You would now have a chromate ester + water. The water then takes off a hydrogen atom attached to the carbinol carbon, which leaves the electrons to form a double bond with the Oxygen atom. Without the hydrogen attached to the carbinol carbon ... like in a tertiary alcohol ... oxidation could only take place by breaking carbon-carbon bonds, which requires severe conditions. Even if this did happen, you would get a mixture of products.
The product of oxidizing a tertiary alcohol is a ketone. Tertiary alcohols cannot be further oxidized to carboxylic acids due to the absence of a hydrogen atom on the carbon atom adjacent to the hydroxyl group.
Tertiary alcohols are not oxidized by chromic acid because they do not have any hydrogen atoms on the carbon atom that bears the hydroxyl group. This lack of hydrogen atoms prevents the formation of a stable intermediate that is necessary for the oxidation reaction to occur.
Tertiary alcohols have three alkyl groups attached to the carbon atom bearing the hydroxyl group. This results in a more hindered structure compared to primary and secondary alcohols, making tertiary alcohols less reactive towards oxidation reactions. Additionally, tertiary alcohols can undergo elimination reactions to form alkenes more readily than primary or secondary alcohols due to the stability of the resulting carbocation intermediate.
Orange ---> Green Primary and secondary alcohols, no reaction with tertiary
Primary alcohols can be oxidized to aldehydes using mild oxidizing agents such as PCC (pyridinium chlorochromate) or PDC (pyridinium dichromate). Examples of primary alcohols that can be used include ethanol, propanol, and butanol.
The product of oxidizing a tertiary alcohol is a ketone. Tertiary alcohols cannot be further oxidized to carboxylic acids due to the absence of a hydrogen atom on the carbon atom adjacent to the hydroxyl group.
Primary alcohols are more resistant to oxidation compared to secondary and tertiary alcohols. This is because primary alcohols have a hydrogen atom attached to the carbon with the hydroxyl group, which can be oxidized to form an aldehyde or carboxylic acid.
Alcohols that cannot be oxidized in the Bordwell-Wellman test are tertiary alcohols. This is because the oxidation process requires the formation of a carbon-carbon bond, and tertiary alcohols lack a hydrogen atom on the carbon bearing the hydroxyl group, making them resistant to oxidation.
Primary or secondary alcohols can be used to prepare ketones through oxidation reactions. Common methods include using mild oxidizing agents like chromic acid, PCC (pyridinium chlorochromate), or Swern oxidation. Tertiary alcohols cannot be oxidized to ketones.
Tertiary alcohols are not oxidized by chromic acid because they do not have any hydrogen atoms on the carbon atom that bears the hydroxyl group. This lack of hydrogen atoms prevents the formation of a stable intermediate that is necessary for the oxidation reaction to occur.
Because 2- methylcyclohexanol is a secondary alcohol (2 R- groups) and can be oxidized to a ketone quite easity whereas 1- methylcyclohexanol is a tertiary alcohol (3 R- groups) and is not easily oxidized. Tertiary alcohols in general are very difficult to oxidize.
Tertiary alcohols have three alkyl groups attached to the carbon atom bearing the hydroxyl group. This results in a more hindered structure compared to primary and secondary alcohols, making tertiary alcohols less reactive towards oxidation reactions. Additionally, tertiary alcohols can undergo elimination reactions to form alkenes more readily than primary or secondary alcohols due to the stability of the resulting carbocation intermediate.
Orange ---> Green Primary and secondary alcohols, no reaction with tertiary
Tertiary alcohols are more reactive towards oxidation with potassium permanganate compared to secondary alcohols. This is because the presence of more alkyl groups in tertiary alcohols stabilizes the intermediate carbocation formed during oxidation.
Primary alcohols can be oxidized to aldehydes using mild oxidizing agents such as PCC (pyridinium chlorochromate) or PDC (pyridinium dichromate). Examples of primary alcohols that can be used include ethanol, propanol, and butanol.
The Lucas test is used to differentiate between primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols based on their reactivity towards Lucas reagent (concentrated HCl and ZnCl2). It helps in identifying the type of alcohol present in a given organic compound, as primary alcohols react slowly, secondary alcohols react moderately, and tertiary alcohols react rapidly with the Lucas reagent. This test is useful in organic chemistry for classifying alcohols and determining their structures.
Primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols can be distinguished based on the number of carbon atoms bonded to the carbon atom that carries the hydroxyl (-OH) group. In primary alcohols, the -OH group is attached to a carbon that is bonded to only one other carbon atom. In secondary alcohols, the -OH group is connected to a carbon bonded to two other carbons, while in tertiary alcohols, the -OH group is on a carbon bonded to three other carbons. This can be confirmed using chemical tests, such as oxidation reactions, where primary alcohols oxidize to aldehydes, secondary alcohols to ketones, and tertiary alcohols do not oxidize easily.