Can Tertiary Alcohols Be Oxidized?

Tertiary alcohols cannot be oxidized at all without breaking carbon-carbon bonds, whereas primary alcohols can be oxidized to aldehydes or further oxidized to carboxylic acids.

Why are tertiary alcohols resistant to oxidation?

Tertiary alcohols (R3COH) are resistant to oxidation because the carbon atom that carries the OH group does not have a hydrogen atom attached but is instead bonded to other carbon atoms. ... Therefore tertiary alcohols are not easily oxidized.

Can a tertiary alcohol be reduced?

Benzylic alcohols, secondary alcohols, and tertiary alcohols were effectively reduced to give the corresponding alkanes in high yields. ... This system showed high chemoselectivity only for the hydroxyl group while not reducing other functional groups that are readily reduced by standard reducing systems.

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Chloe Bennett

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