Abstract
Classification of Hydroxyl and Carbonyl containing compounds was done through different tests. The
samples were n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde,
benzaldehyde, acetone, acetophenone, and isopropyl alcohol. Each of the samples were tested through
solubility test of alcohols in water, Lucas test, Chromic acid test or the Jones oxidation test, 2,4-
Dinitrophenylhydrazone (2,4-DNP) test, Fehling’s test, Tollens’ silver mirror test, and Iodoform test.
Solubility test of alcohols in water was used to determine the amount of water needed for it to produce a
homogenous dispersion and determine whether what kind of alcohol is soluble and insoluble in water.
Lucas test was used to differentiate primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols. Chromic acid test was used
to determine if the sample is oxidized and can also be used to differentiate ketones from aldehydes. 2, 4-
Dinitrophenylhydrazone test was used to differentiate aldehydes and ketones. Fehling’s test and Tollens’
silver mirror test was used to determine whether the sample is an aldehyde. Lastly, Iodoform test was
used for classification of methyl ketones.
There are different types of differentiating tests The Jones oxidation (also known as Chromic
to determine whether its alcohol, aldehyde, and Acid Test) is an organic reaction for
ketones; the commonly used tests are Solubility the oxidation of primary and
test, Lucas test, Chromic Acid test (Jones secondary alcohols to carboxylic
Oxidation), 2,4-dinitophenylhydrazine (2,4- acids and ketones, respectively. Similar to
DNP) test, Fehling’s test, and Tollens’ Silver alcohols, aldehydes and ketones differ in their
Mirror test (Sinton, 2009). ability to be oxidized. As noted previously,
aldehydes can be oxidized to carboxylic acids.
Lucas test in alcohols is a test to differentiate Ketones, which lack hydrogen bonded to the
between primary, secondary, and tertiary carbonyl group, cannot be oxidized. The
alcohols. It is based on the difference in following reactions below show the expected
reactivity of the three classes of alcohols with products aldehydes, and ketones with the Jones
hydrogen halides (Lehman, 2004). The differing reagent (Pellegrini, 2000).
reactivity reflects the differing ease of formation
of the corresponding carbocations. Tertiary
carbocations are far more stable than secondary
carbocations, and primary carbocations are the
least stable (Lehman, 2004). The time taken for
turbidity to appear is a measure of the reactivity
of the class of alcohol, and this time difference
is used to differentiate between the three classes
of alcohols (Mariappan, 2009). No visible
reaction at room temperature and cloudy only on Figure 6. Jones oxidation reaction
heating means it is a primary alcohol, when the http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Jones
_Oxidation_Scheme.png/640px-Jones_Oxidation_Scheme.png
solution turns cloudy in 3–5 minutes means it is
a secondary alcohol, and if solution turns cloudy
immediately, and/or phases separate it means Brady’s test or 2,4-dinitophenylhydrazine (2,4-
DNP) test is used to qualitatively detect the
that it is a tertiary alcohol (Mariappan, 2009).
carbonyl functionality of a ketone or aldehyde
functional group. A positive test is signaled by a
yellow, orange or red precipitate (known as a
dinitrophenylhydrazone.) If the carbonyl
compound is aromatic, then the precipitate will
be red; if aliphatic, then the precipitate will have
a more yellow color.Aldehydes and ketones
undergo a condensation reaction with 2,4-
dinitrophenylhydrazine to produce yellow to positive in Tollens' test and a mirror-like
orange precipitates as products. Alcohols do not material will be formed (Jones, 2000).
undergo this reaction (Simek & Wade, 2003).
Iodoform test or haloform reaction is a chemical
reaction where a haloform (CHX3, where X is a
halogen) is produced by the exhaustive
halogenation of a methyl ketone (a molecule
containing the R–CO–CH3 group) in the
presence of a base.[1] R may be H, alkyl or aryl.
The reaction can be used to produce chloroform
(CHCl3), bromoform (CHBr3), or
iodoform(CHI3). This reaction was traditionally
Figure 7. 2,4-DNP test reaction used to determine the presence of a secondary
http://www.esu.edu/~scady/Experiments/Alcohols(summer).pdf
alcohol oxidizable to a methyl ketone. When
Fehling's test is a chemical test used to iodine and sodium hydroxide are used as the
differentiate between watersoluble carbohydrate reagents, a positive reaction gives iodoform.
and ketone functional groups, and as a testfor Iodoform (CHI3) is a pale-yellow substance.
monosaccharides. Fehling's can be used to Due to its high molar mass caused by the three
determine whether a carbonyl-containing iodine atoms, it is solid at room temperature (cf.
compound is an aldehyde or a ketone. The chloroform and bromoform). It is insoluble in
bistartratocuprate (II) complex in Fehling's water and has an antiseptic smell. A visible
solution is an oxidizing agent and the active precipitate of this compound will form from a
reagent in the test. The compound to be tested is sample only when either a methyl ketone,
added to the Fehling's solution and the mixture ethanal, ethanol, or a methyl secondary alcohol
is heated. Aldehydes are oxidized, giving a is present (Martin & Gilbert, 2011).
positive result (precipitation of red copper (I)
oxide), but ketones do not react, unless they are
alpha-hydroxy-ketones (Jones & Gingrich,
2009). Figure 9. Iodoform test reaction
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3
1/Iodoform_test_alcohols.pn
Materials
http://www.esu.edu/~scady/Experiments/Alcoho
ls(summer).pdf http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
Schematic diagram of the differentiating tests ns/thumb/4/4a/Tert-
Butanol_Structural_Formula_V.1.svg/785px-
Tert-Butanol_Structural_Formula_V.1.svg.png
Tert-butyl alcohol
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/5/53/Butan-1-ol_Skelett.svg/1280px-
Butan-1-ol_Skelett.svg.png
n-butyl alcohol
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/5/5a/Benzyl-alcohol-2D-skeletal.png
Benzyl alcohol
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/d/d4/Ethanol2.svg/1280px-
Ethanol2.svg.png
Ethanol
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/1/1c/Butyraldehyde_200.svg/1280px
-Butyraldehyde_200.svg.png
n-butyraldehyde
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/2/21/Aceton.svg/1280px-
Aceton.svg.png
Acetone
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/8/88/Acetophenone_200.svg/1280px
-Acetophenone_200.svg.png
Acetophenone
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/5/57/2-Propanol2.svg/1280px-2-
Propanol2.svg.png
Isopropyl alcohol
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/4/47/Acetaldehyde_200.svg/1280px-
Acetaldehyde_200.svg.png
Acetaldehyde