Question

What happens when ethanol is oxidised with alkaline potassium permanganate (or acidified potassium dichromate)? Write the equation of the reaction involved.

Answer 1

When ethanol is oxidised with alkaline potassium permanganate (alkaline KMnO₄) or acidified potassium dichromate (acidified K₂Cr₂O₇), ethanoic acid is formed. Alkaline potassium permanganate and acidified potassium dichromate are strong oxidising agents, as they provide oxygen for oxidising other substances in the reaction. This reaction is known as the oxidation reaction.
The chemical equation for the above reaction is as follows:
CH₃CH₂OH + 2[O] → CH₃COOH + H₂O