They can be further reacted to give some rather important end products, however. For example, If you react a cyano Hydrin with aquous HCl then the cyano group will be hydrolyzed to a carboxyl group to produce an alpha Hydroxy carboxylic acid. Sodium Bisulfite will react with both aldehydes and ketones in this manner. This is another example of a reaction is noted more for its ability to separate aldehydes and ketones from other water insoluble organic compounds in a mixture. The aldehyde or ketone will then be extracted or drawn out of the organic layer into the aqueous layer.
Ketones react with such reagents to produce tertiary alcohols.
Return to the top of the page Oxidation of Aldehydes and Ketones Oxidation of aldehydes will result in the formation of carboxylic acids or if done in a basic media the formation of the salt of a carboxylic acid. The use of alkaline hot Potassium Permanganate followed by acidification will produce the corresponding carboxylic acid. The product can also be produced with the use of Silver Oxide in basic solution. Aldehydes will react with an ammoniacal solution of Silver Nitrate which produces a Silver Diammine Hydroxide solution called Tollen's Reagent. This reagent will oxidize only aldehydes to a salt of an acid with the result that the Silver ion will be reduced to free silver.