What Are the Oxidation Products of Butan-2-ol?

[memsces]

[SOLVED] Oxidation of secondary alcohols

I need help on the oxidation of alcohols.

I want to know if butan-2-ol was partially oxidised would it result in butanone.

Also what does the full oxidation of butan-2-ol result in? (I think it is butanoic acid but I am not sure. )

 

[eli64]

butan-2-ol is a secondary alcohol (middle of the chain) and can only oxidize to the ketone, butanone. A primary (end of the chain) can fully oxidize to the acid.

 

[Kushal]

primary alcohols are first oxidised to aldehydes, then further oxidised to carboxylic acids.
secondary alcohols are oxidised only to ketones.

As long as there are more than 1 hydrogen atom on the carbon atom containing the OH group, oxidation can occur. (hope I'm right for this one)

 

[chemisttree]

Sounds good. If you want to be pedantic about it, you could argue that the complete oxidation would yield 4CO2, however.