Do alcohols react with sodium hydroxide (NaOH)?

Do alcohols react with sodium hydroxide (NaOH)?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only primary alcohols react
• D. Only secondary alcohols react

Answer: (A)

Alcohols can act as acids and react with a strong base like sodium hydroxide to form the corresponding alkoxide and water. This is an acid–base interaction, not a redox reaction. The general equation is ROH + OH− ⇌ RO− + H2O. In water, alcohols are weak enough acids that only a portion deprotonates, so the equilibrium lies toward the left, but the reaction still occurs to some extent. The key idea is that the presence of a strong base like NaOH can pull a proton off the alcohol, forming the oxide ion associated with sodium. This isn’t limited to a specific type of alcohol (primary or secondary); the same basic idea applies across typical alcohols, though the extent of deprotonation varies with acidity and solvent conditions.

Alcohols can act as acids and react with a strong base like sodium hydroxide to form the corresponding alkoxide and water. This is an acid–base interaction, not a redox reaction. The general equation is ROH + OH− ⇌ RO− + H2O. In water, alcohols are weak enough acids that only a portion deprotonates, so the equilibrium lies toward the left, but the reaction still occurs to some extent. The key idea is that the presence of a strong base like NaOH can pull a proton off the alcohol, forming the oxide ion associated with sodium.

This isn’t limited to a specific type of alcohol (primary or secondary); the same basic idea applies across typical alcohols, though the extent of deprotonation varies with acidity and solvent conditions.