Oxidation of alcohols

Oxidation of alcohols

• Alcohols are burnt in oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water and heat. Due to production of heat on combustion, alcohols are used as fuel.
• Mild oxidizing agents like acidified potassium dichromate oxidize primary alcohols to aldehydes and then, to carboxylic acids. Secondary alcohols are oxidized to ketones.
• Tertiary alcohols are not oxidized by potassium dichromate and therefore acidified potassium dichromate is used to distinguish tertiary alcohols from primary or secondary alcohols. When reacted with primary or secondary alcohol, the color of acidified potassium dichromate changes from orange to green.

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