Certain aldehydes, upon treatment with sodium or potassium hydroxide, are converted to equal amount of the corresponding carboxylate anion and alcohol. This is known as the Cannizzaro reaction.
The reaction is actually an oxidation-reduction reaction in which one molecule of an aldehyde is oxidized while a second one is reduced.
This reaction works only with aldehydes (such as benzaldehyde) that lack α hydrogen atoms. The reaction requires a strong base, and the rate law is found to depend on the concentration of the base and the square of concentration of the aldehyde.
When the aldehydes are not identical, the reaction is called a ‘crossed Cannizzaro reaction’. Cannizzaro reaction is used for the preparation of various alcohols and acid.
Cannizzaro reaction
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