The main objective of this experiment was to synthesize cyclohexanone from the starting reactant cyclohexanol using oxidation techniques. The mechanism of this oxidation reaction was not fully established but scientists today were able to create a possible mechanisms for the synthesis of cyclohexanone. The mechanisms involved were known that it does not involve free radicals and that the yields were better in acidic rather than basic conditions (Experiment 8 of myweb.brooklyn.liu.edu Laboratory Manuals, n.d.). The figures below explain one of the possible mechanisms of the synthesis of cyclohexanone.
From the figure above, it can be seen that sodium hypochlorite and acetic acid were reacted together to give hypochlorous acid and sodium acetate. Sodium hypochlorite was used as an oxidizing agent while acetic acid was used because it further activates the sodium hypochlorite (Weaver, 2014).
Next, the hypochlorous acid was reacted with the alcohol in cyclohexanol. The oxygen from cyclohexanol abstracted a hydrogen in the hypochlorous acid—thereby pushing the electrons bonded to it to the oxygen in hypochlorous acid. As a
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An absence of hypochlorous acid is the desired result (Carey, 2010). This was done through one drop of starch-KI solution. If positive, which means that hypochlorous acid or oxidizing agents was still present, a blue-black color that came from the starch-triiodide complex would be seen in the mixture. The result turned out to be negative (a clear solution), which meant that there was enough sodium bisulfite added that destroyed the excess oxidizing agent.
A drop of bromothymol blue was added to the mixture which serves as an indication if the mixture would be completely neutralized with the addition of 6M sodium hydroxide. Then, 9 drops of 6M sodium hydroxide was added to the flask to neutralize the mixture. A significant color change was