Question

Why it is not advisable to dry alcohols with sodium metal, though it is used for drying ether?

Answer 1

Whether the organic compound can be dried using sodium metal and not depends on, whether the given compound chemically reacts with sodium metal or not.

In the case of alcohols, the functional group has a hydrogen atom attached to highly electronegative oxygen atom. Thus the electron cloud of hydrogen is pulled more towards the oxygen atom.

Hence it can be very easily replaced by more electropositive sodium atoms.

$2CH_3CH_2OH + 2 Na\rightarrow 2CH_3CH_2ONa +H_2$

Hence alcohols cannot be dried with sodium metal.

In ethers oxygen atom is bonded on either side with the carbon atoms of the alkyl group present. No chemical reaction takes place. Thus sodium metal can be used for drying ether.