Depto. Química Orgánica

BOND AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ALCOHOLS

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15/07/2017
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Alcohols and ethers can formally be considered as derived from water by replacing one or two of its hydrogens by carbon groups.
Bond angles are compatible with a sp3 hybridization.
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The hydroxyl group confers polarity to the molecule and the possibility of forming hydrogen bonds.
The carbon part is non-polar and hydrophobic.
The larger the carbon chain, the lower the alcohol solubility in water and the more soluble in non-polar solvents.
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Alcohols form strong hydrogen bonds. That's why they have high melting and boiling points compared to the corresponding alkanes.
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