Aldehydes
Formaldehyde on treatment with concentrated NaOH undergoes Cannizzaro reaction to produce:
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Solution
Methanol and sodium formate
Formaldehyde has no alpha-hydrogen, so it undergoes Cannizzaro disproportionation in strong base. One molecule is reduced to methanol while another is oxidized to formate ion. In NaOH medium, the salt isolated is sodium formate.
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About This Question
- Subject
- chemistry
- Chapter
- organic compounds containing oxygen
- Topic
- aldehydes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Methanol and sodium formate
Formaldehyde has no alpha-hydrogen, so it undergoes Cannizzaro disproportionation in strong base. One molecule is reduced to methanol while another is oxidized to formate ion. In NaOH medium, the salt isolated is sodium formate.
This medium difficulty chemistry question is from the chapter organic compounds containing oxygen, covering the topic of aldehydes. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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