The relatively high boiling points of alkanols are due to?
Answer Details
The relatively high boiling points of alkanols are due to hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding occurs when a hydrogen atom, covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (such as oxygen or nitrogen), interacts with another electronegative atom in a neighboring molecule. This interaction results in a stronger intermolecular force, which requires more energy to overcome and hence, a higher boiling point.
In the case of alkanols, the hydroxyl (-OH) functional group allows for hydrogen bonding to occur between neighboring molecules. The strength of the hydrogen bonding increases with the length of the carbon chain, resulting in higher boiling points for longer chain alkanols.
In summary, the high boiling points of alkanols are due to the presence of hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups of neighboring molecules.