<unk>  is classified as a primary alcohol, meaning that the carbon that its hydroxyl group attaches to has at least two hydrogen atoms attached to it as well. Many<unk>  reactions occur at its hydroxyl group. Ester formation In the presence of acid catalysts,<unk>  reacts with carboxylic acids to produce<unk> hyl esters and water: :RCOOH + HOCH2CH3 → RCOOCH2CH3 + H2O This reaction, which is conducted on large scale industrially, requires the removal of the water from the reaction mixture as it is formed. Esters react in the presence of an acid or base to give back the alcohol and a salt. This reaction is known as saponification because it is used in the preparation of soap.<unk>  can also form esters with inorganic acids. Diethyl sulfate and triethyl phosphate are prepared by treating<unk>  with sulfur trioxide and phosphorus pentoxide respectively. Diethyl sulfate is a useful<unk> hylating agent in organic synthesis.<unk> hyl nitrite, prepared from the reaction of<unk>  with sodium nitrite and sulfuric acid, was formerly used as a diuretic. Dehydration In the presence of acid catalysts,<unk>  converts to<unk> hylene. Typically solid acids such as alumina are used: : CH3CH2OH → H2C=CH2 + H2O<unk> hylene produced from sugar-derived<unk>  (primarily in Brazil) competes with<unk> hylene produced from petrochemical feedstocks such as naphtha and<unk> hane. Under alternative conditions, diethyl<unk> her results: :2 CH3CH2OH → CH3CH2OCH2CH3 + H2O Combustion Complete combustion of<unk>  forms carbon dioxide and water: :C2H5OH (l) + 3 O2 (g) → 2 CO2 (g) + 3 H2O (l); −ΔHc = 1371 kJ/mol = 29.8 kJ/g = 327 kcal/mol = 7.1 kcal/g :C2H5OH (l) + 3 O2 (g) → 2 CO2 (g) + 3 H2O (g); −ΔHc = 1236 kJ/mol = 26.8 kJ/g = 295.4 kcal/mol = 6.41 kcal/g Specific heat = 2.44 kJ/(kg·K) Acid-base chemistry<unk>  is a neutral molecule and the pH of a solution of<unk>  in water is nearly 7.00.<unk>  can be quantitatively converted to its conjugate base, the<unk> hoxide ion (CH3CH2O−), by reaction with an alkali metal such as sodium: :2 CH3CH2OH + 2 Na → 2 CH3CH2ONa + H2 or a very strong base such as sodium hydride: :CH3CH2OH + NaH → CH3CH2ONa + H2 The acidities of water and<unk>  are nearly the same, as indicated by their pKa of 15.7 and 16 respectively. Thus, sodium<unk> hoxide and sodium hydroxide exist in an equilibrium that is closely balanced: :CH3CH2OH + NaOH CH3CH2ONa + H2O Halogenation<unk>  is not used industrially as a precursor to<unk> hyl halides, but the reactions are illustrative.<unk>  reacts with hydrogen halides to produce<unk> hyl halides such as<unk> hyl chloride and<unk> hyl bromide via an SN2 reaction: :CH3CH2OH + HCl → CH3CH2Cl + H2O These reactions require a catalyst such as zinc chloride. HBr requires refluxing with a sulfuric acid catalyst.<unk> hyl halides can, in principle, also be produced by treating<unk>  with more specialized halogenating agents, such as thionyl chloride or phosphorus tribromide. :CH3CH2OH + SOCl2 → CH3CH2Cl + SO2 + HCl Upon treatment with halogens in the presence of base,<unk>  gives the corresponding haloform (CHX3, where X = Cl, Br, I). This conversion is called the haloform reaction. " An intermediate in the reaction with chlorine is the aldehyde called chloral, which forms chloral hydrate upon reaction with water: :4 Cl2 + CH3CH2OH → CCl3CHO + 5 HCl :CCl3CHO + H2O → CCl3C(OH)2H Oxidation<unk>  can be oxidized to acetaldehyde and further oxidized to acetic acid, depending on the reagents and conditions. This oxidation is of no importance industrially, but in the human body, these oxidation reactions are catalyzed by the enzyme liver alcohol dehydrogenase. The oxidation product of<unk> , acetic acid, is a nutrient for humans, being a precursor to acetyl CoA, where the acetyl group can be spent as energy or used for biosynthesis. Metabolism<unk>  is similar to macronutrients such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in that it provides calories. When consumed and metabolized, it contributes 7 calories per gram via<unk>  metabolism.
Ethanol
Chloroethane
Chloroform
Ethylene glycol
Dichloromethane
Trihalomethane
Diethyl ether
Perfluorooctanoic acid