How do aldehydes and ketones differ from alcohol?

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How do aldehydes and ketones differ from alcohol?

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Answer 1 · 2016-09-07T03:35:54

An alternative means of differentiation is to consider the degree of oxidation of the ipso carbon.

Explanation:

Aldehydes and ketones are the oxidation products of alcohols, and we could assign formal oxdation states.

The oxidation state of the ipso carbon in $H_{3} C - C H_{2} O H$ $H_3C-CH_2OH$ is $- I$ $-I$ ; in $H_{3} C - C (= O) H$ $H_3C-C(=O)H$ , $+ I$ $+I$ , and in $H_{3} C - C (= O) O H$ $H_3C-C(=O)OH$ , $+ I I I$ $+III$ . Of course $+ I I I$ $+III$ represents its maximum oxidation state ( $C O_{2}$ $CO_2$ can be formed, but here the chain is broken).

By comparison, we could assign the formal oxidation numbers of carbon in say propane or butane: $H_{3}^{-} I I I C -^{-} I I C H_{2} C H_{3}$ $H_3stackrel(""^(-)III)C-stackrel(""^(-)II)CH_2CH_3$ , or $H_{3}^{-} I I I C -^{-} I I C H_{2}^{-} I I C H_{2} C H_{3}$ $H_3stackrel(""^(-)III)C-stackrel(""^(-)II)CH_2stackrel(""^(-)II)CH_2CH_3$

Certainly we use oxidizing agents to synthesize ketones and aldehydes from alcohols.

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How do aldehydes and ketones differ from alcohol?

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