Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers Test - 3

Secondary alcohols are oxidized to ketones. The oxidation of isopropyl alcohol by potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇) gives acetone, the simplest ketone: Unlike aldehydes, ketones are relatively resistant to further oxidation, so no special precautions are required to isolate them as they form

C₆H₅OCH₂CH₃ is ethyl phenyl ether or phenetole is an organic compound that is an ether. Ethyl phenyl ether has the same properties as some other ethers, such as volatility, explosive vapors, and the ability to form peroxides.

IUPAC name : Ethoxybenzene 

Other names : Phenetole, Ethyl Phenyl Ether

Carboxylic acids are reduced to primary alcohols in excellent yields by lithium aluminium hydride, a strong reducing agent.

However, LiAlH₄ is an expensive reagent, and therefore, used for preparing special chemicals only. Commercially, acids are reduced to alcohols by converting them to the esters followed by their reduction using hydrogen in the presence of catalyst (catalytic hydrogenation).