strong base = oxide or ROH?

[skylark]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I am confused about strong bases (for E2 reactions).

Kaplan says oxides are strong bases, and when i looked up oxides, which is ROH. but then it also says tert-butanol is a weak base compared to tertbutoxide...doesnt -ol from tert-butanol mean it has OH too, thus ROH? so what really is the diff between ROH and oxides and "-ol"s?😕

 

[loveoforganic]

Oxides are salts of O2-.

Alkoxides are salts of RO-.

Alcohols are protonated alkoxides.

 

[Baylor2011]

I am confused about strong bases (for E2 reactions).

Kaplan says oxides are strong bases, and when i looked up oxides, which is ROH. but then it also says tert-butanol is a weak base compared to tertbutoxide...doesnt -ol from tert-butanol mean it has OH too, thus ROH? so what really is the diff between ROH and oxides and "-ol"s?😕

Alkoxides are very strong bases compared to alcohols (R-OH)

You may have looked up hydroxides (OH)...not sure.

Yes, tert-butanol has an OH...thus the -ol, meaning it's an alcohol...which are weak bases. ROH is an -ol, it's just saying substitute R for any functional group (ie Ethyl CH3-CH2 + -OH), giving you the -ol or alcohol.

Alkoxides are derived from alcohols...for example take ethanol and react it with metallic Sodium, which will pluck the H off the O, giving you Na^+ CH3-CH2-O^- ...or sodium ethoxide, a very strong base.