Can the alcohol (CH 3 ) 3 COH be formed by the reduction of an aldehyde or ketone? Why or why not?

Welcome back. Everyone. Here's our next problem. True or false. The alcohol CH three CH two C and in parenthesis, ch three in parentheses. Ohch two ch three can be formed when an aldehyde or ketone undergoes a reduction reaction. Justify your action. Justify your answer. Excuse me. A true. The alcohol can be formed from the reduction of three pinon A ketone B. True. The alcohol can be formed from the production of two pentagon A ketone C false. The alcohol cannot be formed from the reduction of an alde hydro ketone because it is a tertiary alcohol or D false. The alcohol cannot be formed from the reduction of an alde hydro ketone because it is a quaternary alcohol. Well, first of all, we can rule one out right away. There is no such thing as a quaternary alcohol in choice D because a quaternary, a carbon that a quaternary carbon will have four bonds to other carbons and therefore wouldn't have room for an alcohol group. So choice D just doesn't even make any sense. So let's look at our other answer. Choices and think about reduction reactions of aldehydes and ketones. So an aldehyde can be reduced to form a primary alcohol, while a ketone can be reduced to form a secondary alcohol. So we need to look at the structure of the molecule we're given and see if it's either a primary or secondary alcohol. What about a tertiary alcohol? Well, a tertiary alcohol means our carbon that's bonded to the hydroxy group has three R groups. So if it has three R groups, it could not have come from an aldehyde or a ketone. Because what defines those functional groups, ac O double bond in a tertiary alcohol, that carbon cannot form ac O double bond, it only has space for one bond due to the three R groups. So a tertiary alcohol only has room for one co bond and therefore cannot have been produced from the reduction of an alde hydro ketone. So what we need to do is look at the structure we're given and determine what kind of alcohol it is. Well, let's count how many carbons there are outside of the parentheses because we know that in a condensed structure, like we're given groups in parentheses are branches. So we have 12345 carbons in our main chain. So we'll draw a five carbon chain and a skeletal structure. So 12345 and then on the third carbon from the left, right now, I'm just going left to right. Not trying to figure out priorities here. 123, we have a methyl group. So on our third carbon, we have a methyl group and then we have right next to the parentheses. Oh So that hydroxy group is on that same carbon as the methyl group. So let's add that on. So the carbon that has the oxygen has the oh group attached to it also has three are groups, it has two ethyl branches, one on either side plus the methyl branch. So this is a tertiary alcohol and therefore, it cannot have been produced V an aldehyde or ketone. So our answer is going to be choice C false. The alcohol cannot be formed from the reduction of an aldehyde or ketone because it is a tertiary alcohol. So that will be our answer. And then we look at our other answer. Choices just to be thorough, we've already ruled out. Choice D choice A is true. So we know that's incorrect. And it's saying it can be produced from A P uh ketone and choice B also says true that it can be produced from a ketone. So that's why choice A and B are incorrect. So once again, our answer is choice C false due to the fact that it's a tertiary alcohol. See you in the next video.

Table of contents

Skip topic navigation

1. Matter and Measurements4h 31m
2. Atoms and the Periodic Table5h 23m
3. Ionic Compounds2h 18m
4. Molecular Compounds2h 18m
5. Classification & Balancing of Chemical Reactions3h 17m
6. Chemical Reactions & Quantities2h 27m
7. Energy, Rate and Equilibrium3h 46m
8. Gases, Liquids and Solids3h 25m
9. Solutions4h 10m
10. Acids and Bases3h 29m
11. Nuclear Chemistry56m
BONUS: Lab Techniques and Procedures1h 38m
BONUS: Mathematical Operations and Functions47m
12. Introduction to Organic Chemistry1h 34m
13. Alkenes, Alkynes, and Aromatic Compounds2h 12m
14. Compounds with Oxygen or Sulfur1h 6m
15. Aldehydes and Ketones1h 1m
16. Carboxylic Acids and Their Derivatives1h 11m
17. Amines39m
18. Amino Acids and Proteins1h 51m
19. Enzymes1h 37m
20. Carbohydrates1h 41m
21. The Generation of Biochemical Energy2h 8m
22. Carbohydrate Metabolism2h 22m
23. Lipids2h 26m
24. Lipid Metabolism1h 45m
25. Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism1h 37m
26. Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis2h 54m

15. Aldehydes and Ketones

Reduction of Aldehydes and Ketones

GOB Chemistry

15. Aldehydes and Ketones

Reduction of Aldehydes and Ketones

Previous problemNext problem

Problem 51

Textbook Question

Can the alcohol (CH₃)₃COH be formed by the reduction of an aldehyde or ketone? Why or why not?

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the structure of the alcohol (CH3)3COH. This is a tertiary alcohol because the carbon atom bonded to the hydroxyl (-OH) group is also attached to three other carbon atoms.

Understand the reduction process: Reduction of an aldehyde or ketone involves the addition of hydrogen (H2) to the carbonyl group (C=O), converting it into an alcohol.

Determine the type of alcohol formed by reduction: Aldehydes reduce to primary alcohols, and ketones reduce to secondary alcohols. Tertiary alcohols cannot be formed by the reduction of aldehydes or ketones.

Analyze the structure of (CH3)3COH: Since it is a tertiary alcohol, it cannot be formed by the reduction of an aldehyde or ketone. This is because the carbonyl carbon in aldehydes and ketones can only form one or two bonds with other carbon atoms, not three as required for a tertiary alcohol.

Conclude that (CH3)3COH cannot be formed by the reduction of an aldehyde or ketone because the structure of a tertiary alcohol does not align with the products of such reductions.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above

Play a video:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Reduction Reactions

Reduction reactions involve the gain of electrons or hydrogen, or the loss of oxygen in a chemical species. In organic chemistry, this often refers to the conversion of carbonyl compounds, such as aldehydes and ketones, into alcohols. Understanding the mechanism of reduction is crucial for determining whether a specific alcohol can be synthesized from a given carbonyl compound.

Aldehydes and Ketones

Aldehydes and ketones are both types of carbonyl compounds characterized by the presence of a carbonyl group (C=O). Aldehydes have at least one hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl carbon, while ketones have two carbon groups attached. The structural differences between these compounds influence their reactivity and the types of products that can be formed through reduction.

Tertiary Alcohols

Tertiary alcohols are alcohols where the hydroxyl (-OH) group is attached to a carbon atom that is connected to three other carbon atoms. The compound in question, (CH₃)₃COH, is a tertiary alcohol. It cannot be formed directly by the reduction of an aldehyde or ketone, as these reactions typically yield primary or secondary alcohols, depending on the starting material.

Watch next

Master Reduction Reactions Concept 1 with a bite sized video explanation from Jules

Start learning