Aldehyde oxidation
Oxidation changes the aldehyde hydrogen into acid functionality through the hydrated carbonyl. The carbon count stays at one, but further oxidation remains possible.
- Reagents
- Acidified dichromate(VI); controlled oxidant addition
- Conditions
- Controlled aqueous oxidation
- Reaction class
- Aldehyde oxidation
- Equation
- HCHO + [O] -> HCOOH
Overview
Oxidation changes the aldehyde hydrogen into acid functionality through the hydrated carbonyl. The carbon count stays at one, but further oxidation remains possible.
Transformation
- Equation
- HCHO + [O] -> HCOOH
- Reagents
- Acidified dichromate(VI); controlled oxidant addition
- Environment
- Controlled aqueous oxidation
- Reaction class
- Aldehyde oxidation
- Mechanism
- aldehyde oxidation through a hydrate
- Evidence level
- source-backed molecular example
Scope and limitations
- Scope
- The formal one-carbon aldehyde-to-acid transformation.
- Limitations
- Methanoic acid can undergo further oxidation to carbon dioxide.
Related reactions
- Grignard addition co reactant: Methanal → Primary alcohols
Methanal plus a Grignard reagent gives a primary alcohol after acidic work-up.
- Catalytic oxidation: Methanol → Methanal
Removing hydrogen from methanol creates a carbonyl while retaining its single carbon. Oxygen accepts the removed hydrogen as water in this overall catalytic-oxidation equation.
- Carbonyl reduction: Methanal → Methanol
Hydride addition forms a new C-H bond and converts the C=O pi bond into an alkoxide. Protonation then gives methanol without introducing another carbon.
References
- Organic Chemistry: Oxidation of Aldehydes and KetonesJohn McMurry · OpenStax Organic Chemistry · 2023
Supports functional-group chemistry used to curate the linked examples. Checked 2026-09-16; named examples are applications of textbook scope, without claimed experimental yields.