Which of the following types of alkanols undergo oxidation to produce alkanoic acids? 1. Primary alkanols 11. Secondary alkanols 111. Tertiary alkanols

Which of the following types of alkanols undergo oxidation to produce alkanoic acids? 1. Primary alkanols 11. Secondary alkanols 111. Tertiary alkanols

Answer Details

Only primary alkanols undergo oxidation to produce alkanoic acids. This is because primary alkanols have a hydrogen atom attached to the carbon atom with the -OH group, which can be easily oxidized to a carboxylic acid (-COOH) group. Secondary and tertiary alkanols lack this hydrogen atom and cannot be directly oxidized to alkanoic acids.