Alcohol Classification and Preparation Methods

Cue Column	Note-Taking Column
SMILES for ethanol (1°)?	`SMILES:CCO`
SMILES for propan-2-ol (2°)?	`SMILES:CC(O)C`
SMILES for 2-methylpropan-2-ol (3°)?	`SMILES:CC(C)(C)O`
Grignard preparation	RMgX + HCHO → 1° alcohol; RMgX + RCHO → 2° alcohol; RMgX + $R_{2}CO$ → 3° alcohol (after hydrolysis)
Reduction: which reagent for acid?	Only $LiAlH_{4}$ reduces carboxylic acids; $NaBH_{4}$ is too weak (only aldehydes and ketones)
Alkene hydration product rule?	Markovnikov: -OH adds to more substituted carbon

Summary (Bottom): Alcohol preparation hinges on knowing the right reagent for each substrate. The Grignard route is versatile for all three alcohol classes. The critical distinction: $LiAlH_{4}$ reduces carboxylic acids; $NaBH_{4}$ does not.