Alcohol has OH functionality, but do you expect it to be a base and why?

I would expect it to be a base, but I am not sure why. Does anyone know?

To be a base, the molecule (oxygen atom in this case) must ACCEPT a proton. How many reactions do you know in which the OH part of say, CH3OH or C2H5OH, accepts a proton to become CH3OH2^+ or C2H5OH2^+. I don't know of any. In organic chemistry, the -NH2 group is a base BECAUSE the N atom has an extra pair of electrons AND because a H^+ can add to those two electrons. These boards don't allow us to draw electron dot structures but I'll try to show an amine adding a H^+.


&nbsp&nbsp&nbspH
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp..
R:N:H
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp..

See the two unused electrons at the bottom of the RNH2 compound. Those two electrons can accept a hydrogen ion, and they do, to form the amine salt, RNH3^+.
I hope this is clear to you but if it isn't please post a follow up question. If the spacing doesnt work out on the electron dot structure, I did the best I could.

Actually, the electron structure looks pretty good. That't about as good as it gets on these boards.

Thank-you for taking the time to help me understand the question.

I think I understand, would the following statement be correct:

Alcohol would not be a base, because in order to be a base the molecule must accept a proton.

That would sound good to me.

Alcohols contain the hydroxyl group (OH) which can behave as both an acidic and a basic site. Whether an alcohol behaves as a base or an acid depends on the reaction conditions.

In general, alcohols are considered weak bases because they can accept a proton (H+) from a strong acid. The hydroxyl group in alcohols has a lone pair of electrons, which can be donated to a proton (H+) from an acid. This proton transfer reaction leads to the formation of a water molecule.

However, it is important to note that the basicity of alcohols is significantly lower compared to other bases such as amines or hydroxide ions. This is because the electronegative oxygen atom in the hydroxyl group tends to stabilize the negative charge on the oxygen, making it less likely to accept a proton.

To determine if an alcohol will act as a base in a specific reaction, you can consider the strength of the acid present in the system. Stronger acids, such as HCl or H2SO4, are capable of transferring protons to alcohols, making them behave as bases in those particular cases.