Question

What is the reaction of acetone and tollens reagent?

Answer 1

Tollens' reagent is used to determine whether a carbonyl containing compound is an aldehyde or a ketone. Acetone is a ketone so it will not readily react with Tollens' reagent.

Answer 2

Silver ions in the presence of hydroxide ions come out of solution as a brown precipitate of silver(I) oxide, . This precipitate dissolves in aqueous ammonia, forming the diamminesilver(I) ion, . Normal Ketones do not react with Tollens' reagent as they lack reducible hydrogen (directly bonded to carbonyl carbon).