Question

Draw the alcohol that is oxidized to give the product shown below. Show all hydrogen atoms.

 

Answer 1

Concepts and reason

The concept used to solve this question is to draw the alcohol structure, which is to be oxidized to give the required aldehyde. The alcohols are the organic compounds that consist of at least one hydroxy (-OH) functional group. The product formed in the oxidation of alcohol depends on the type of alcohol and reagent used in the oxidation reaction. The primary alcohols on oxidation yield aldehydes, whereas secondary alcohols on oxidation yield ketone as a product.

Fundamentals

The organic compounds which contain the -OH group as a functional group are known as alcohols. The general formula for alcohol is R-OH. The alcohols can be classified as primary, secondary, and tertiary depends on the number of carbon atoms bonded to the carbon bearing the hydroxy group. The representation of the three types of alcohols is shown below.

Oxidation of alcohols:

Alcohols are the most important compounds in organic synthesis, and they involve in different kinds of reactions. The main reactions of alcohols are oxidation reactions. Alcohols undergo oxidation reactions when treated with an oxidizing agent. Primary alcohols can be oxidized to give aldehydes with mild oxidizing agents or give carboxylic acids a strong oxidizing agent. Secondary alcohols can be oxidized to give ketone as a product.

In the above oxidation reaction, one molecule of hydrogen is removed from the molecule.

 

The given reaction is an oxidation reaction. The structure of the product is as follows:

The functional group present in the above compound is aldehyde functional group \((-\mathrm{CHO})\). And, the given aldehyde is formed by the oxidation reaction.

To find out the structure of the starting alcohol that is to be oxidized, it is important to identify the functional group present in the product. By looking at the structure, it is observed that the functional group present in the product is the aldehyde functional group. The aldehyde is formed through an oxidation reaction.

 

The functional group present in the given product is the aldehyde functional group, and it is formed through an oxidation reaction. From the discussion in the oxidation of alcohols, aldehydes are formed by the oxidation of primary alcohols. Thus, the starting material must be primary alcohol. Therefore, the structure of the alcohol and the corresponding oxidation reaction is shown below.

The structure of the alcohol that is to be oxidized to give the product is drawn below.

The aldehyde functional group is present in the product, and the oxidation reaction forms it. From the discussion in the oxidation of alcohols, aldehydes are formed by the oxidation of primary alcohols. Thus, the starting material must be primary alcohol. The structure of the required primary alcohol can be drawn by adding the two hydrogen atoms across the product's carbonyl bond. Therefore, the structure of the alcohol that is to be oxidized is drawn.