1-28
Chemistry
121, Winter 2008, LA Tech
Dehydration of Alcohols
An
alcohol can be converted to an alkene by elimination of H and OH from
adjacent carbons (a -elimination)
•1° alcohols must be heated at high temperature
in the presence
of an acid catalyst, such as H2SO4 or H3PO4
•2° alcohols undergo dehydration at somewhat
lower temperatures
•3° alcohols often require temperatures only at
or slightly
above room temperature