Practicing Success
Which is the most acidic compound among the following? |
Ethanol 2-Propanol 2-Methylpropan-2-ol All the compounds have same acidity |
Ethanol |
The acidic character of alcohol is due to the polar nature of O-H bond. An electron-donating group (EDG) such as -CH3, -C2H5 increases electron density on oxygen leading to a decrease in polarity of the O-H bond. This decreases the acid strength. Therefore, the decreasing order of acidity of alcohol is: Primary > Secondary >>Tertiary |