Why do tertiary alcohols not undergo oxidation reactions, and what happens under strong reaction conditions involving oxidizing agents like KMnO₄ at elevated temperatures?

Tertiary alcohols do not undergo oxidation reactions easily due to the absence of a hydrogen atom on the carbon bearing the hydroxyl group. Oxidation involves the removal of a hydrogen atom from the alcohol, and tertiary alcohols lack a hydrogen atom adjacent to the hydroxyl group, hindering oxidation. Under strong conditions with oxidizing agents like potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) at elevated temperatures, tertiary alcohols may undergo fragmentation reactions, leading to the formation of smaller fragments or other complex rearrangements instead of direct oxidation. The lack of a readily available hydrogen atom limits their susceptibility to typical oxidation processes.