Oxidation of Ethanol to Ethanoic Acid

Ethanol is oxidised to ethanoic acid by adding cold acidified potassium manganate (VII).

Cold potassium manganate is a moderately strong oxidising agent, and it is reduced to manganese(IV) oxide, which then reacts with the sulphuric acid in solution to produce a brown solution.

Subsequent heating causes the manganese(IV) oxide to further act as an oxidising agent, reducing it to a solution of colourless manganese(II) ions.

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