Why Can't Tertiary Alcohols Be Oxidized?

[PhysicsInterest]

I’m still a relative newbie to chemistry so if this question is very simple to answer I apologise….. but what prevents the oxidation of a tertiary alcohol cause you can form an aldehyde and carboxylic acid from a primary alcohol and a ketone from a secondary but what is it that prevents a tertiary alcohol oxidising????

 

[Hyperfine]

Oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols require what is in essence the breaking of a C-H bond. Oxidation of a tertiary alcohol would require the breaking of a C-C bond.

Energetics strongly disfavor the latter process.

 

[PhysicsInterest]

Oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols require what is in essence the breaking of a C-H bond. Oxidation of a tertiary alcohol would require the breaking of a C-C bond.

Energetics strongly disfavor the latter process.

Ahhhhhhhhh so it’s just the presence of a C-H bond which allows oxidation to occur obviously in tertiary the OH group is attached to a carbon bonded to 3 other carbons, ok ok thank you