Random
International Hazard
Posts: 1021
Registered: 7-5-2010
Location: In ur closet
Member Is Offline
Mood: Energetic
|
|
Oxidation of alcohols with Copper (II) acetate and NH4NO3
Can I oxidize alchohols with Copper (II) acetate and NH4NO3 like in this method is Benzoic oxidized to Benzil:
http://www.cerlabs.com/experiments/10875407382.pdf
This is also mentioned in this thread:
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=13347#pid170926
Quote: |
I had also read about using NH4NO3 and Cupric Acetate in a solvent of Acetic Acid, which is the method I will be using first.
|
Now, could I use a mix of copper (ii) acetate and nh4no3 to oxidize ethanol in brandy to strong acetic acid?
|
|
not_important
International Hazard
Posts: 3873
Registered: 21-7-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
This is done in a nearly water-free system, acetic acid is the solvent. This means that the complex mixture that is brandy likely will not work, as it
is fairly dilute EtOH and mostly water. You'll need to get to =95% EtoH to start with; you'd do better using solvent grade ethanol that's been
through a simple distillation, the MeOH or i-PrOH in it will be oxidised as well to give formic acid/CO2+H2O or acetone.
The method eats a lot of ammonium nitrate, only one of three oxygens is used for oxidation. there are a number of catalytic reactions that use air as
the oxidant, these likely would be more economical unless you happen to have many stones of Nh4NO3. An alternative oxidation is hypochlorite (bleach)
with a nickle salt catalyst ( "nickle peroxide" is formed in situ); while bleach is the normal source of the hypochlorite and thus would result in
dilute solutions, some folks have used calcium hypochlorite with a small amount of water which might result in reasonable concentrations.
|
|
Nicodem
Super Moderator
Posts: 4230
Registered: 28-12-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
There is nothing in that document about general alcohols oxidation with that method. What is the reference that claims primary alcohols such as
ethanol can be oxidized using Cu(CH3COO)2 and NH4NO2? I hope you were not just deducting from the oxidation of benzoin which is easily oxidized as it
is a benzylic keto alcohol, something very different when compared to primary alcohols.
…there is a human touch of the cultist “believer” in every theorist that he must struggle against as being
unworthy of the scientist. Some of the greatest men of science have publicly repudiated a theory which earlier they hotly defended. In this lies their
scientific temper, not in the scientific defense of the theory. - Weston La Barre (Ghost Dance, 1972)
Read the The ScienceMadness Guidelines!
|
|
Random
International Hazard
Posts: 1021
Registered: 7-5-2010
Location: In ur closet
Member Is Offline
Mood: Energetic
|
|
There is also reference in the thread link I gave.
|
|
not_important
International Hazard
Posts: 3873
Registered: 21-7-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
That's hardly a reference - another new user asking a question and stating that they'd read about a process, with not details given. Again a nitrate
plus transition metal salt in glacial acetic acid meaning little to no water present.
With metals that have several oxidation states that are fairly easy to move between, many oxidants can function to form a higher oxidation state and
many oxidisable compounds will be oxidised while forming a lower oxidation state of the metal. Nickle salts and hypochlorite, vanadium salts and
peroxide Co/Mn/Cu compounds separately or in mixtures with air (sometimes Br<sup>-</sup> is needed), several of the platinum group metals
and oxygen, and many many more. Not all are suitable for every compound, or even ever compound within a class (such as primary alcohols), nor are all
oxidants suitable for all catalysts or substrates. Plus even compounds + catalysts + oxidants that work may not scale up or down well.
|
|