Carbonyl compounds

What you'll learn

• Describe the formation of aldehydes from the oxidation of primary alcohols.
• Describe the formation of ketones from the oxidation of secondary alcohols.
• Describe the reduction of aldehydes and ketones using NaBH4 or LiAlH4.
• Describe the reaction of aldehydes and ketones with HCN and KCN.
• Describe the mechanism of nucleophilic addition reactions of hydrogen cyanide with aldehydes and ketones.
• Describe the detection of carbonyl compounds by the use of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNPH) reagent.
• Distinguish between aldehydes and ketones by testing with Fehling’s and Tollens’ reagents.
• Describe the reaction of CH3CO─ compounds with alkaline aqueous iodine to give tri-iodomethane, CHI3, and a carboxylate ion, RCOO−.
• Devise a synthetic route using reactions from Chapters 14–18 to make a named organic product.
• Analyse an infrared spectrum of a simple molecule to identify functional groups.

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