Alcohols react with active metals e.g. Na, K etc. to give corresponding alkoxides.
Write down the decreasing order of reactivity of sodium metal towards primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols.

Question

Alcohols react with active metals e.g. Na, K etc. to give corresponding alkoxides. Write down the decreasing order of reactivity of sodium metal towards primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols.

Philoid · Accepted Answer

The decreasing order of reactivity of sodium metal towards alcohols: Primary alcohols > secondary alcohols > tertiary alcohols

Alcohol reacts with Sodium metal to yield corresponding Sodium phenoxide/alkoxide and Hydrogen gas.

The reactivity of sodium metal towards tertiary alcohols is lowest mainly due to two reasons. First,steric hindrance of the alkyl groups. Second, an increase in the electron density on Oxygen atom in the hydroxyl bond.

With an increase in the number of alkyl groups, the electron density in the O-H bond increases and therefore, the release of a proton is not that easy. Thus, the reactivity of sodium metal towards tertiary alcohols is least among primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols.

Alcohols react with active metals e.g. Na, K etc. to give corresponding alkoxides.Write down the decreasing order of reactivity of sodium metal towards primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols.

Alcohols react with active metals e.g. Na, K etc. to give corresponding alkoxides.
Write down the decreasing order of reactivity of sodium metal towards primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols.