Question

What is the final oxidation product of methanol when subjected toan excess of aq. KMnO4?

Answer 1

Methanoic acid or formic acid:
`HCOOH`.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hello,

In this case, when methanol reacts with a strong oxidizing agent as potassium permanganate, the first oxidation product is methanal (formaldehyde) as shown below:

`CH_3OH\rightarrow HCOH`

Afterwards, the methanal continues reacting with the potassium permanganate to finally yield methanoic acid (formic acid):

`HCOH\rightarrow HCOOH`

This is understood by the fact that oxidation in organic chemistry is also related with the increase of oxygen atoms in the oxidized molecule.

Best regards.

Best regards.