[macondo]

Assignment: describe the type of reaction and types of possible products formed.

1) sucrose with sulfuric acid
2) glucose (linear form) and sucrose with benedict's reagent
3) safflower oil (mixture of triesters of 1,2,3-propanetriol with a variety of fatty acids such as 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid) with KMnO4
4) Listerine (mixture of primary alcohols, secondary alcohols and phenols) reaction with KMNO4.

I've done all the research I can for this assignment and seem to be stuck. I've managed to obtain an answer for number 1. My answer: type of reaction ---> dehydration eliminiation, products ---> carbon, water and sulfur dioxide.

The others, I desperately need help with. It's for tomorrow so anything you can throw at me will be greatly appreciated.

[lavoisier]

2) Benedict's reagent contains Cu²⁺, which oxidizes glucose (and in general, aldose sugars) to the corresponding acid, while it gets reduced to Cu⁺ (actually the oxide, which is red).

3) I guess the double bonds in the fatty acid chains could be oxidized to 1,2-diols by KMnO4 (the reduction product being MnO2 and/or Mn2+, depending on the conditions), but this is a tough reagent, it can really break everything.

4) KMnO4 should oxidize primary alcohols to acids and secondary alcohols to ketones (again, with the risk of destroying everything). Phenols could be oxidized to quinones, but here it really depends on the specific substitution of the ring.

[Dan]

1) I think you can assume this is aqueous sulfuric acid...