Question

Name the product produced when ethanol is treated with alkaline potassium permanganate solution.

Answer 1

• In an organic reaction, the reagent reacts with a reactant molecule to produce an intermediate which is converted into final products.
• In the compound, Ethanol $\left({\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{OH}\right)$ indicates the alcohol functional group is present in the compound.
• The reaction of ethanol with alkaline Potassium permanganate $\left({\mathrm{KMnO}}_4\right)$ solution forms an oxidized product and forms Ethanoic acid $\left({\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COOH}\right)$ as the major product.

The chemical equation of the reaction is written as:

$$\begin{gathered} {\mathrm{CH}}_3{\mathrm{CH}}_2\mathrm{OH}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\stackrel{\mathrm{alk}.{\mathrm{KMnO}}_4}{\to }{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COOH}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right) \\ \left(\mathrm{Ethanol}\right)(\mathrm{Ethanoic}\mathrm{acid})\left(\mathrm{Water}\right) \end{gathered}$$

Hence, Ethanoic acid is produced.