Tertiary alcohols are generally resistant to oxidation by mild agents. However, under drastic condit — Alcohols Phenols and Ethers Chemistry Question
Question
Tertiary alcohols are generally resistant to oxidation by mild agents. However, under drastic conditions using strong oxidizing agents at elevated temperatures, they undergo oxidation. What is the characteristic feature of the product?
Answer: C
💡 Solution & Explanation
Tertiary alcohols resist normal oxidation because they lack an alpha-hydrogen. Under drastic conditions with strong oxidants, severe carbon-carbon bond cleavage occurs, resulting in a mixture of carboxylic acids that contain fewer carbon atoms than the original tertiary alcohol.
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