Carbonyl compounds, carboxylic acids and esters

Learning objectives

Describe the preparation of aldehydes and ketones by oxidising alcohols, and their reduction back to alcohols with NaBH₄ or LiAlH₄

Describe the nucleophilic addition of HCN (with a KCN catalyst) to aldehydes and ketones to form hydroxynitriles, including the curly-arrow mechanism, and the hydrolysis of nitriles to carboxylic acids

Use 2,4-DNPH, Tollens' reagent, Fehling's solution and the alkaline iodine (tri-iodomethane) test to identify carbonyl compounds and CH₃CO– groups

Describe how carboxylic acids are made by oxidation and by hydrolysis of nitriles or esters, and their reactions with reactive metals, alkalis, carbonates, alcohols and LiAlH₄

Describe the formation of esters from alcohols and carboxylic acids with a concentrated H₂SO₄ catalyst, and their hydrolysis by heating with dilute acid or dilute alkali