How can aldehydes and ketones be produced from alcohols?

1 Answer
Mar 12, 2016

By oxidation of the alcohol; usually you don't have to try too hard.

Explanation:

Primary alcohols, 1^@ alcohols, R_1CH_2OH oxidize to (i) the aldehyde, R_1C(=O)H, and then to the carboxylic acid, R_1CO_2H. Normally, it is hard to stop oxidation at the aldehyde.

Secondary alcohols, 2^@ alcohols, R_1CH(OH)R_2, oxidize to give the ketone R_1C(=O)R_2, and normally stop at this stage. Ketones tend to be a lot more robust under oxidative conditions.

Why should we want to make aldehydes and ketones? Well, they open the possibility of C-C bond formation with anionic carbon residues.

Tertiary alcohols, , 3^@ alcohols, R_1C(OH)R_2R_3, are inert to oxidation.