Organic chemistry II: alkanols and alkanoic acids

Alkanols (CₙH₂ₙ₊₁OH)

Functional group -OH. Methanol CH₃OH, ethanol C₂H₅OH, propanol C₃H₇OH.

Making ethanol

• Fermentation: C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH + 2CO₂ (yeast enzymes, about 25-35°C, no air).
• Hydration of ethene: C₂H₄ + H₂O → C₂H₅OH (phosphoric acid catalyst, high temperature and pressure).

Reactions of ethanol

• Burns with a clean blue flame.
• Reacts with sodium to give hydrogen.
• Oxidation by acidified potassium dichromate(VI) (orange → green) to ethanoic acid.
• Esterification with an alkanoic acid.