Question

Mechanism of preparation of benzoic acid from toluene by oxidation

Answer 1

Treatment of an alkylbenzene with potassium permanganate results in oxidation to give the benzoic acid. The position directly adjacent to an aromatic group is called the “benzylic” position.The reaction only works if there is a hydrogen attached to the carbon.This procedure was done to simply explore the chemistry behind it. However, it might be a good source of Benzoic Acid if you can’t find it anywhere.For this experiment,

the following reagents are needed:

·         Toluene;

·         Potassium Permanganate;

·         Hydrochloric Acid (at least 20%);

·         Distilled Water (regular tap water can also be used without any visual loss of yield);