Reaction mechanism for oxidation of alcohol to carboxylic acid
Answers
Answer:
Alcohol oxidation is an important organic reaction. Primary alcohols (R-CH2-OH) can be oxidized either to aldehydes (R-CHO) or to carboxylic acids (R-CO2H), while the oxidation of secondary alcohols (R1R2CH-OH) normally terminates at the ketone (R1R2C=O) stage. Tertiary alcohols (R1R2R3C-OH) are resistant to oxidation.
The indirect oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids normally proceeds via the corresponding aldehyde, which is transformed via an aldehyde hydrate (R-CH(OH)2) by reaction with water. The oxidation of a primary alcohol at the aldehyde level is possible by performing the reaction in absence of water, so that no aldehyde hydrate can be formed.
The direct oxidation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acids can be carried out using
Potassium permanganate (KMnO4)
Jones oxidation
PDC in DMF
Heyns oxidation
Ruthenium tetroxide (RuO4)
or TEMPO.