[jacks]

I need to know why a primary alcohol would react quicker than a secondary alcohol. I want to say that it is because the primary alcohol has more hydrogen atoms to give up but I want to make sure that I am not wrong in that assessment. The primary is butanol, and the secondary is 2-propanol if that helps answer my question. Thanks in advance.

[chenbeier]

Alkyl groups stablelize, so the secundary alcohol react slower. tert. alcoholes very stable no oxidation happen.

[jacks]

just to make sure I understand. Would it be fair to say that the primary alcohol has more unstable ch bonds to react with when compared to the secondary, and that is why it reacts faster?

[chenbeier]

Primary alcohol has only one alkyl group so only less I-effect. Stability is more less, oxidation of C-H is more easier.

[jacks]

So. The greater stability of the secondary alcohol makes it harder to oxidize it? Can you explain how alkyl groups increase stability. Everything I can find online is kind of confusing. Thanks.