Describe chemical test/s you could use to determine the identity of a carbonyl compound.

Use Brady's Reagent (2,4-DNPH) to test for the presence of the C=O bond in a carbonyl compound. The formation of a yellow precipitate indicates a positive test result. Then determine the melting point of the product to identify the original carbonyl.

Alternatively you can use Tollen's reagent to determine whether a carbonyl is a ketone or an aldehyde. As Tollen's is a (weak) oxidising agent, there will be no reaction upon addition to a ketone, but a silver precipitate will form with an aldehyde. 

MB
Answered by Megan B. Chemistry tutor

6790 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Explain the trends in ionisation energies across the 2nd period of the periodic table?


How do you convert between different SI units, for example, nmol to mmol?


Explain why Scandium is not considered a true transition metal.


Can you state and explain the chemistry behind Markovnikov's rule?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences