4-Chlorobenzaldehyde + KOH,H+ >> 4-Chlorobenzyl alcohol +4-Chlorobenzoic acid
Purpose: This experiment illustrates the simultaneous oxidation and reduction of an aromatic aldehyde to form the corresponding benzoicacid and benzoyl alcohol.
1. In this experiment, the alkaline phase was diluted with water.Then it was acidified by concentrated hydrochloric acid. Discussthe acidification of the alkaline phase. How does it help in the isolation of the carboxylic acid product? Use an equation to helpexplain this point.
2. Think about the possibility of the alcohol product reacting withmethanolic KOH. How would this effect the purity of the acidproduct? How could you tell if your acid product was contaminatedin this way? Use an equation to help explain this.