Oxidation of a primary alcohol first to an aldehyde and then a carboxylic acid. To saponify a typical vegetable oil. Grading You will be assessed on detailed answers required in the lab report. The Report Form is to be filled out and turned in at the beginning of the next lab period. They are chiefly responsible for the pleasant aromas associated with various fruits, and as such are used in perfumes and flavorings.
Some esters also have useful physiological effects.
Oxidation of a primary alcohol may yield either an aldehyde or a carboxylic acid, depending on the reaction conditions. For example, mild oxidation of ethanol produces acetaldehyde, which under more vigoous conditions may be further oxidised to acetic acid. A number of oxidising agents may be used. At higher temperatures primary alcohols are oxides further to acids. The police can ask a motorist to exhale through a tube containing some orange crystals.