Question

Name the product formed when Ethanol is oxidized using alkaline Potassium Permanganate.

Answer 1

1. When a solution of Ethanol is heated with Potassium Permanganate (${\mathbf{KMnO}}_{\mathbf{4}}$), the pink colour of the solution disappears because of the strong oxidizing agent as ${\mathbf{KMnO}}_{\mathbf{4}}$, which oxidizes Ethanol to Ethanoic acid.
2. $$\begin{gathered} {\mathbf{CH}}_{\mathbf{3}}\mathbf{-}{\mathbf{CH}}_{\mathbf{2}}\mathbf{-}\mathbf{OH}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{2}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left[}\mathbf{O}\mathbf{\right]}\mathbf{}\stackrel{\mathbf{alkaline}\mathbf{}{\mathbf{KMnO}}_{\mathbf{4}}\mathbf{,}\mathbf{}\mathbf{heat}}{\mathbf{\to }}\mathbf{}{\mathbf{CH}}_{\mathbf{3}}\mathbf{COOH}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}{\mathbf{H}}_{\mathbf{2}}\mathbf{O} \\ \mathbf{Ethanol}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Ethanoc}\mathbf{}\mathbf{Acid} \end{gathered}$$
3. Hence, Ethanoic acid is formed when Ethanol is oxidized using alkaline Potassium Permanganate.