Carbonyl compounds can serve both as reductant and oxidant, such processes being termed as disproportionation reactions. When non enolisable aldehydes are treated with strong aqueous or alcoholic base, one molecule of aldehydes undergoes reduction to alcohol while another molecule undergoes oxidation to acid. This disproportionation is the result of a nucleophilic addition of hydroxide ion to the aldehyde carbobyl to give a tetrahedral intermedate which can then regenerate the carbonyl group either by expelling hydroxide ion (to revert to aldehyde) or, by expelling hydride ions (to revert to carboxylic acid). Above reaction is

Carbonyl compounds can serve both as reductant and oxidant, such proce

1.	Carbonyl compounds can serve both as reductant and oxidant, such processes being termed as disproportionation reactions. When non enolisable aldehydes are treated with strong aqueous or alcoholic base, one molecule of aldehydes undergoes reduction to alcohol while another molecule undergoes oxidation to acid. This disproportionation is the result of a nucleophilic addition of hydroxide ion to the aldehyde carbobyl to give a tetrahedral intermedate which can then regenerate the carbonyl group either by expelling hydroxide ion (to revert to aldehyde) or, by expelling hydride ions (to revert to carboxylic acid). Above reaction is
Answer» proton-hydride transfer reaction given by non enolizable aldehydes third order OVERALL, FIRST order in hydroxide and SECOND order in aldehyde first order in aldehyde and first order in hydroxide. Solution : `2RCHO+OH^(-)rarr` rate = `k[RCHO]^(2)[OH^(-)]`