Instead methods are used which permit much greater regiochemical control andĪre milder. However, simpleĪcid-catalyzed addition of water is often the least desirable alternative. Thus a common method for the preparation of alcohols. Addition of water across an olefinic dou-ble bond is Aldehydes give primary alcohols while ketonesĪnd olefins are at the same oxidation level and are interconvertible without aĬhange in oxidation level. Milder than LAH and does not require aprotic conditions (an alcohol is often As such it provides a selective way to reduce acidsĪnd produce alcohols in the presence of most other functional groups.Īnd ketones are conveniently reduced by sodium borohydride, which is much Increases the reactivity of the boron hydride and delivers the hydride by an Unique reactivity comes from the fact that borane first forms a Lewis acid –īase complex with the acid and then a boron – carboxylate intermediate which With carboxylic acids than with esters or other acid derivatives.

Reduced easily by borane, which is the only reducing agent that reacts faster

Carboxylic acids, but not esters, are also Reductive methods have been reported for the preparation of alcohols.Ĭarboxylic acids and esters react vigorously with lithium aluminum hydride Groups and consequently are readily prepared by reduction. Methods for the preparation of alcohols are still among the most usefulĪre at a fairly low oxidation level compared to other oxygen-containing functional The alcohol group, but the alcohol group can be prepared from many other groups and converted to many functional groups. Not only do many important compounds and pharmaceuticals contain Not only do many important compounds and pharmaceuticals contain the alcohol group, but the alcohol group can be prepared from many other groups and converted to many functional groups.Īlcohol functional group is a very important functional group in organicĬhemistry. The alcohol functional group is a very important functional group in organic chemistry.

Hydrocarbyl functional groups are ones that contain only carbon and hydrogen.Chapter: Organic Chemistry : Functional Group Synthesis.

Note that in organic chemistry, the R group is a generic placeholder for other groups such as aliphatic groups. Examples:įunctional groups commonly encountered in drugs Non-carbon and non-hydrogen atoms are shown in the shorthand notation. In a similar fashion, the symbol “C” for carbon is often not drawn in skeletal formulas of organic compounds (i.e. In such cases, the hydrogens are said to be implicit. A shorthand notation, where the hydrogens bonded to carbons aren’t shown in drawings but are assumed to be present, is preferred. However, the hydrogens bonded to carbons are often not shown as it is tedious to do so and the omission makes structures look neater. When hydrogens attached to carbons are shown in the skeletal formulas of organic compounds, the hydrogens are said to be explicitly shown. Functional groups determine the characteristic physical, chemical and biological properties of a molecule. Functional groups are specific substituents or moieties, composed of an atom or a group of atoms, within molecules that possess similar chemical properties whenever it occurs in different compounds.

A lot of drugs in the market are small organic molecules and as a student of medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy, pharmacology or medicine, knowledge of the different functional groups is crucial.

Alcohol functional group