no oxidation of 2ndary and tertiary alcohols into COOH

[SaintJude]

Kaplan says:

Secondary and tertiary alcohols cannot be oxidized to carboxylic acids because of valence limitations

And then they END the paragraph. What does this mean??

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[MedPR]

Kaplan says:



And then they END the paragraph. What does this mean??

Well, a secondary alcohol is bound to an OH group, a hydrogen, and two alkyl groups. To oxidize it to a carboxylic acid, it would need to have 5 bonds. Double bond to an oxygen, single bond to an OH, single bond to each of the two alkyl groups. Carbon won't take 5 bonds.

The same is true for a tertiary alcohol.