Video Summary

Alcohols, containing the hydroxyl (-OH) group, undergo a variety of reactions due to the polarity of the O-H bond and the lone pairs on the oxygen atom. They can act as both weak acids and weak bases. A key reaction is dehydration, where an alcohol loses water to form an alkene, often catalyzed by strong acids like sulfuric acid. Oxidation reactions are also significant; primary alcohols can be oxidized to aldehydes and then carboxylic acids, while secondary alcohols oxidize to ketones. Tertiary alcohols are resistant to oxidation. Alcohols can react with carboxylic acids to form esters in a process called esterification, often requiring an acid catalyst. They can also undergo substitution reactions, replacing the hydroxyl group with halogens (e.g., forming chloroalkanes from alcohols and HCl). The reactivity of alcohols is influenced by steric hindrance and the nature of the alkyl group attached to the hydroxyl group.