The Dehydration of Alcohols By: Julia Trimble Introduction: Alcohols are organic compounds that derive from hydrocarbons that have replaced hydrogen with a hydroxyl group; the presence of a hydroxyl group is the primary signifier of this functional group.2 Given their structure, alcohols are capable of reacting with acids to create a more stable compound by cleaving the –OH group to make water.3 If a simple alcohol such as cyclohexanol were mixed with a strong acid like H2SO4 , the free H+ […]
