Eg: Alkaline Potassium permanganate or Acidified Potassium dichromate in solutions act as oxidizing agents and supplies oxygen to convert alcohols into carboxylic acids.
Ethyl alcohol undergoes oxidation to form the product Acetaldehyde and finally Acetic acid.(see following equation)
Unsaturated organic compounds that contain multiple bonds (=, bonds) like alkenes and alkynes undergo addition reactions to become saturated. During the reactions addition of the reagent takes place at the double bonded or triple bonded carbon atoms.
In the above reactions ‘Ni’ acts as ‘catalyst.’
• Do you know what a ’catalyst’ is?
A catalyst is a substance which increases the rate of a given reaction without itself finally undergoing any chemical change.
These reactions are commonly used in the hydrogenation of vegetable oils using nickel as catalyst. Vegetable oils generally have long unsaturated carbon chains, while animal fats have saturated carbon chains.
Fats and oils are both of fatty acids. Oils are generally liquids at room temperature due to unsaturated fatty acids but fats are solids due to saturated fatty acids.