Potassium dichromate , oxidation alcohols

Potassium dichromate oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid is the basis for the original breath alcohol screening test used by law enforcement agencies to determine a person s blood alcohol content. The test is based on the difference in color between the dichromate ion (reddish orange) in the reagent and the chromium(lll) ion (green) in the product. Thus, color change can be used as a measure of the quantity of ethanol present in a breath sample ... 

By the oxidation of secondary alcohols with potassium dichromate and dilute sulphuric acid, for example ... 

The estimation of alkoxy groups is not such a simple task. One method (26,68) involves hydrolysis and oxidation of the Hberated alcohol with excess standard potassium dichromate solution. The excess may then be estimated iodometrically. This method is suitable only for methoxides, ethoxides, and isopropoxides quantitative conversion to carbon dioxide, acetic acid, and acetone, respectively, takes place. An alternative method for ethoxides is oxidation followed by distillation, and titration of the Hberated acetic acid. 

Atropine causes dilation of the pupil of the eye. A drop or two of an aqueous solution, containing 1 part in 130,000 parts of water, introduced into the eye of a cat is sufficient to produce this effect. When warmed with sulphuric acid and a small crystal of potassium dichromate, atropine develops a bitter almond odour. Evaporated to dryness on a water-bath with concentrated nitric acid, it gives a residue which becomes violet on adding a drop of sodium hydroxide solution in alcohol (Vitali s test). With a solution of mercuric chloride atropine gives a yellow to red precipitate of mercuric oxide. 

Oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones (Section 15.10) Many oxidizing agents are available for converting secondary alcohols to ketones. PDC or PCC may be used, as well as other Cr(VI)-based agents such as chromic acid or potassium dichromate and sulfuric acid. 

Primary and secondary alcohols undergo oxidation when reacted with a mixture of acidified potassium dichromate (VI) and dilute sulphuric acid. Primary alcohols are oxidised in the sequence... 

Identify the alcohols, in your answers to Question 10, that would undergo oxidation when heated under reflux with a solution of potassium dichromate (VI) in dilute sulphuric acid. Give the structural formula of the final organic product of the reaction in each case. (6)... 

Adogen has been shown to be an excellent phase-transfer catalyst for the per-carbonate oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds [1]. Generally, unsaturated alcohols are oxidized more readily than the saturated alcohols. The reaction is more effective when a catalytic amount of potassium dichromate is also added to the reaction mixture [ 1 ] comparable results have been obtained by the addition of catalytic amounts of pyridinium dichromate [2], The course of the corresponding oxidation of a-substituted benzylic alcohols is controlled by the nature of the a-substituent and the organic solvent. In addition to the expected ketones, cleavage of the a-substituent can occur with the formation of benzaldehyde, benzoic acid and benzoate esters. The cleavage products predominate when acetonitrile is used as the solvent [3]. 

When suspected drunk drivers are tested with a Breathalyzer, the alcohol (ethanol) in the exhaled breath is oxidized to acetic acid with an acidic solution of potassium dichromate ... 

The oxidation of alcohols with metal dichromates, other than sodium or potassium dichromate, has been little explored. Hydrated zinc dichromate (ZnCr207 3H20)367 368a and ferric dichromate [Fe2(Cr207)3],368b—which are very easy to prepare as stable solids—are able to oxidize alcohols in organic solvents.368 Zinc dichromate is particularly efficient in the transformation of a-hydroxyphosphonates into a-ketophosphonates.369... 

Each is prepared by oxidation of the starting alcohol by a mixture of potassium dichromate in sulfuric acid. 

PTC methods for the oxidation of water-insoluble acid-sensitive alcohols have been described which use an aqueous sulphuric acid solution of potassium dichromate, dichloromethane and catalytic amounts of tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulphate.103... 

Oxidation of 1-hexanol with chromic acid (sodium or potassium dichromate in aqueous sulfuric acid) yields hexanoic acid. Use of PDC or PCC in dichloromethane is not acceptable because those reagents yield aldehydes on reaction with primary alcohols. 

Oxidation of several primary aliphatic alcohols with potassium dichromate, pyri-dinium dichromate, quinolinium dichromate (QDC), imidazolium dichromate, nico-tinium dichromate, isonicotinium dichromate, pyridinium fluorochromate (PFC), quinolinium fluorochromate, imidazolium fluorochromate, pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC), quinolinium chlorochromate (QCC), and pyridinium bromochromate (PBC), in aqueous acetic acid and in the presence of perchloric acid, showed similar kinetics. The values of the reaction constants did not differ significantly, indicating operation of a common mechanism.1... 

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