Question

What products are obtained in the oxidation of $2$-hexene with warm concentrated permanganate solution?

• A. acetate and butanone
• B. acetate and butanal
• C. acetate and butanoate
• D. acetaldehyde and butanoate

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

acetate and butanoate

The oxidation of $2-hexene$ with warm concentrated $KMn{O}_4$ first results in formation of $2,3-hexanediol$ then these diols are themselves quite easily oxidised by manganate ions.

Overall the solution oxidises the alkene by breaking the carbon-carbon double bond and replacing it with two carbon-oxygen double bonds.

The products of the reaction are acetate and butanoate.