Aldehydes are readily oxidised to yield carboxylic acids but ketones are inert to oxidation. Which is the most likely explanation regarding this difference in reactivity?

Question

Aldehydes are readily oxidised to yield carboxylic acids but ketones are inert to oxidation. Which is the most likely explanation regarding this difference in reactivity? (A) Aldehydes have a proton attached to the carbonyl that is abstracted during oxidation. Ketones lack this proton and so, cannot oxidised. (B) Reducing agents like HNO 3 are sterically hindered by ketone's carbonyl carbon. (C) Aldehydes and ketones are of similar hybridisation. (D) The rate of the forward oxidation reaction is equal to the rate of the reverse reduction reaction in ketones.

Tardigrade Admin · Accepted Answer

Abstraction of H-atom, attached to carbonyl group in an aldehyde, is much easier than the abstraction from bulkier alkyl group attached to carbonyl group in a ketone.

Q. Aldehydes are readily oxidised to yield carboxylic acids but ketones are inert to oxidation. Which is the most likely explanation regarding this difference in reactivity?

Aldehydes have a proton attached to the carbonyl that is abstracted during oxidation. Ketones lack this proton and so, cannot oxidised.

Reducing agents like $H N O_{3}$ are sterically hindered by ketone's carbonyl carbon.

Aldehydes and ketones are of similar hybridisation.

The rate of the forward oxidation reaction is equal to the rate of the reverse reduction reaction in ketones.

Abstraction of $H$ -atom, attached to carbonyl group in an aldehyde, is much easier than the abstraction from bulkier alkyl group attached to carbonyl group in a ketone.