Oxidation of Alcohols

Alcohols can be oxidised to carbonyl compounds. Primary alcohols give aldehydes or carboxylic acids on oxidation while secondary alcohols yield ketones. The tertiary alcohols do not usually undergo oxidation.

Normally KMnO₄, CrO₃ and Na₂Cr₂O₇ or K₂Cr₂O₇ are used as oxidising agents.

The aldehydes obtained by oxidation of the primary alcohols get further oxidised to carboxylic acids.

The oxidation can be controlled and aldehydes are obtained as the products by using pyridium chlorochromate (PCC) which is a mild reagent.