Chapter 4 - Monohydric Alcohols, their Ethers and Esters

Abstract

This chapter discusses the properties of monohydric alcohols, their ethers and esters. Methods of distinguishing primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols are described. Preparation methods of saturated alcohols or alkanols, unsaturated alcohols, derivatives of saturated alcohols, ethers, alkyl peroxides, and esters of mineral or inorganic acids are described. Alcohols react almost instantaneously with trichloroacetyl isocyanate to yield the carbamate. Several reactions are outlined in the chapter. These include oxidations using dimethyl sulfoxide, dipyridine chromium (VI) oxide in acetic acid, treatment of the glycol carbonates with potassium fluoride in ethylene glycol, iodination followed by methylation with lithium dimethyl copper, reductive coupling of allylic alcohols to bi-allyls, treatment of alcohols with carbonyl fluoride and sulfur tetrafluoride, pyrolysis of allylic ethers, treatment with triethyl phosphate, and several others for all the three compounds. Trialkyl phosphites are oxidized to the corresponding phosphates by ozone, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrosyl chloride and dialkyl peroxides. Amine oxides are reduced by trialkyl phosphites to the corresponding amine.