Return to Contents  Chapter 17: Aldehydes and Ketones. Nucleophilic Addition to C=O  Ch 17 contents

Oxidation of Aldehydes

oxidation of aldehydes
Reaction type:  Oxidation - reduction

Summary

oxidising reagents for aldehydes
Related Reactions
OXIDATION OF ALDEHYDES

Part 1:
Formation of the hydrate (mechanism) occurs first.
oxidation of an aldehyde to a carboxylic acid

Part 2:
Now we essentially have an alcohol which reacts with the chromium species to form a chromate ester.
Part 3:
A base (here a water molecule) abstracts a proton from the chromate ester, the C=O forms and a Cr species leaves. This is really an E2 elimination reaction. Note the importance of the original aldehyde H... if its' missing, no oxidation can occur.

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organic chemistry © Dr. Ian Hunt, Department of Chemistry University of Calgary