3.3.5.2 oxidation of alcohols

• alcohols can be primary, secondary or tertiary
• primary and secondary alcohols can be oxidised but tertiary alcohols are not easily oxidised
• types of alcohol

  
• products of primary alcohols

  heated in the presence of acidified potassium dichromate and distilled to produce aldehydes
• production of aldehydes from primary alcohols

  
• formation of carboxylic acids

  primary alcohols heated under reflux conditions to oxidise further to produce carboxylic acids
• further oxidation of primary alcohols

  
• oxidation of secondary alcohols


  heated in the presence of acidified potassium dichromate to produce ketones
• oxidation of secondary alcohols

  
• potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7)


  used in the oxidation of alcohols as the oxidising agent
• what happens to the potassium dichromate?

  reduced
• colour change of potassium dichromate when the alcohol is oxidised

  orange -> green