Butanal and Butanone | Identify, Oxidation | Reactions

Butanal (CH₃CH₂CH₂CHO) and butanone (CH₃CH₂COCH₃) are carbonyl compounds with same molecular formula. Butanal is an aldehyde and butanone is a ketone and they are two isomers of C₄H₈O. As similar characteristics, butanal and butanone have significant differences with some reactions and reagents. Those reactions can used to identify butanal and butanone from each other.

Butanal is an aldehyde compound and butanone is a ketone compound. But, both compounds are considered as carbonyl compounds. In this tutorial, we are going to learn followings of butanal and butanone.

1. Differences of butanal and butanone
2. Oxidation of butanal and butanone
3. Reduction of butanal and butanone

Differences of butanal and butanone

Main difference of butanal and butanone is, butanal can be oxidized by oxidizing agents. But, butanone cannot be oxidized like butanal.

Aldehydes can be oxidized to carboxylic acids. But ketones are not oxidized like aldehydes.

Oxidation of butanal

Butanal can be oxidized to butanoic acid by following oxidizing agents.

• Acidic potassium permanganate
• Acidic potassium chromate
• Acidic potassium dichromate
• Tollens' reagent
• Fehling's solution

Oxidizing butanal by acidic potassium permanganate

Butanal is oxidized to butanoic acid by acidic potassium permanganate (H⁺ / KMnO₄). In this reaction, potassium permanganate is reduced to manganese +2 ion. Therefore, you can see purple colour of acidic potassium permanganate is decreased and become colourless or pale pink.

Physical differences of butanone and butanal

• Both butanone and butanal are colourless liquids. So, we cannot see a difference of their colours and unable to identify butanal and butanone from their colours.

Questions asked by students

What are the differences in butanal and butanone according to their structure?

Both of them have similar chemical formula, C₄H₈O. In butanal molecule, a -CHO groups is located at the end of the carbon chain. But in propanone, -CH₃ and -CH₂CH₃ groups are located around -C=O part.

Related Tutorials to C₄H₈ Isomers