Sarett oxidation
Encyclopedia
The Sarett oxidation is the oxidation of an alcohol
to a ketone
or an aldehyde
using chromium trioxide
and pyridine
. Primary alcohol
s will only be oxidised to the aldehyde
and not on to carboxylic acid
s.
The reagent is named after the American chemist Lewis Hastings Sarett
(1917– 1999).
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
to a ketone
Ketone
In organic chemistry, a ketone is an organic compound with the structure RCR', where R and R' can be a variety of atoms and groups of atoms. It features a carbonyl group bonded to two other carbon atoms. Many ketones are known and many are of great importance in industry and in biology...
or an aldehyde
Aldehyde
An aldehyde is an organic compound containing a formyl group. This functional group, with the structure R-CHO, consists of a carbonyl center bonded to hydrogen and an R group....
using chromium trioxide
Chromium trioxide
Chromium trioxide is the inorganic compound with the formula CrO3. It is the acidic anhydride of chromic acid, and is sometimes marketed under the same name.This compound is a dark-red/orange brown solid, which dissolves in water concomitant with hydrolysis...
and pyridine
Pyridine
Pyridine is a basic heterocyclic organic compound with the chemical formula C5H5N. It is structurally related to benzene, with one C-H group replaced by a nitrogen atom...
. Primary alcohol
Primary alcohol
A primary alcohol is an alcohol which has the hydroxyl radical connected to a primary carbon. It can also be defined as a molecule containing a “–CH2OH” group.Examples include ethanol and butanol....
s will only be oxidised to the aldehyde
Aldehyde
An aldehyde is an organic compound containing a formyl group. This functional group, with the structure R-CHO, consists of a carbonyl center bonded to hydrogen and an R group....
and not on to carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of at least one carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R-COOH, where R is some monovalent functional group...
s.
The reagent is named after the American chemist Lewis Hastings Sarett
Lewis Hastings Sarett
Lewis Hastings Sarett was an American organic chemist. He was born in Champaign, Illinois. Live in Laona, Wisconsin for a time. Attended high school in Highland Park, Illinois . He received a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University in 1939 and his doctorate from Princeton University...
(1917– 1999).