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Acidity and Basicity
| Because alcohols contain a hydrogen atom bonded to an oxygen atom bonded
to a nonmetal atom (carbon), they can act as acids. However, since the
electronegativity of carbon is just about the same as that of hydrogen, the acidity of
alcohols is comparable to that of water. So, like water, alcohols can act as acids if they
are in a basic environment. Also like water, because of the unbonded pairs of electrons on
the oxygen atom, they can act as bases if they are in an acidic
environment. (For your reference, equations for these reactions are shown in example 9.) |
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We won't make much use of that acid-base information as it relates to alcohols in this
course because we don't deal with the mechanisms by which reactions occur. But it would be
very important if, for example, you wanted to understand, step by step, how ethanol is
metabolized in a person's body.
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E-mail instructor:
Eden Francis
Clackamas Community College
©2001, 2003 Clackamas Community College, Hal Bender
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![Equations for acid-base reactions of alcohols. [63rxn04.JPG]](images/63rxn04.JPG)