A chemist has 3 beakers, each containing a pure sample of acetone (2-propanone), isopropanol (2-propanol) and propanal. Using chemical techniques, suggest how the chemist may be able to determine which beaker contains which sample. [4]

Brady's reagent is an orange solution of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine which reacts with carbonyl containing functional groups to produce an orange precipitate (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivative of the carbonyl compound). [1]Isopropanol won't form a precipitate with Brady's reagent, which allows it to be identified. [1]Acetone and propanal do form precipitates with Brady's reagent [1]. Acetone and propanal can be distinguished by: measuring the melting points of the hydrazone precipitates and comparing those with known literature values/adding Tollen's reagent, which produces a silver mirror with the propanal but not with the acetone, as ketones can't be further oxidised by silver cations but aldehydes can be oxidised to carboxylic acids. [1]

SM

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Why can there be one major product and one minor product after electrophilic addition takes place across a double bond?


What happens to the physical properties(solubility/boiling/melting point) as chain length increases, and as functional groups are added onto the chemical compound?


Why is there a difference in mechanism between tertiary halogenoalkanes and primary halogenoalkanes in nucleophilic substitution?


What is fractional distillation used for in industry? Explain the molecular basis behind it.