Detection of Carboxylic group

Sno. Experiments Observation Interference

1 Litmus Test: Turned Red Carboxylic or
Shake a pinch of the given Phenolic group
compound with water & add a present
drop of blue litmus solution
2 NaHCO3 solution test: CO2 gas evolved Carboxylic group
Take about 2.0 ml of 5% present
NaHCO3 solution & add a
pinch of the given compound
1 Ester formation test: Sweet fruity Carboxilic group
Heat about 0.5g of the given odour present
compound with ethyl alcohol
(1.0ml) & 1-2 drops of conc.
H2SO4 in a dry test tube
4 Ferric chloride solution test: Coloured Carboxylic group
Shake about 0.2g of the given (red,yellow) ppts. present
compound with 5.0ml of
water. Add dil. NH4OH
solution to get a clear
solution. Boil to remove
excess NH3. Cool & add few
drops of neutral ferric chloride
solution.

Litmus paper is turned red both by carboxylic as well as phenolic group but this test
sometimes is not very clear.

Sodium bicarbonate test. Carboxylic acids liberate CO2 from NaHCO3 but phenols cannot
RCOOH + NaHCO3  RCOONa + CO2 + H2O

Ester formation test. Carboxylic acids react with alcohls in the presence of conc. H2SO4 o
form ester which have a sweet fruity odur.
RCOOH + R’-OH  RCOOR’ + H2O

Ferric chloride solution test. Carboxylic acid is the converted into neutral solution of its
ammonium salt on treatment with NH4OH.
3CH3COOH + FeCl3  Fe(CH3COO)3 + 3HCl
 Detection of Phenols
Sno. Experiment Observations Interface
1 Ferric chloride solution test: Violet or green Phenolic group
Dissolve a pinch of organic compound colour present
in water or alcohol & add 1-2 drops
of neutral ferric chloride solution.
2 Dye formation test: Orange dye Phenolic group
Dissolve a pinch of a given organic present
compound in NaOH solution in a test
tube & cool to 0-5°C in ice bath. In
another test tube, take 0.5ml of
aniline & dissolve in dil. HCL. Cool to
0-5°C & add cool NaNO2 solution.
Now mix the two solutions.

Ferric chloride solution test. Ferric chloride reacts with phenolic compound to form ferric
phenoxides which have characteristics colours depending upon the nature of phenolic
compounds.
3C6H5OH + FeCl3  Fe(C6H5O)3 + 3HCl

Dye formation test. Aniline hydrochloride on treatment with NaNO2 at (0-5°C) forms
benzene diazonium chloride which reacts with phenols to form azo dyes having red, orange
or brown colour. The reaction is known as coupling.
Ar-NH2+HNO2+HCl  Ar-N2+Cl−+2H2O
Ar-N2+Cl−+Ar’-OH  Ar-N=N-Ar’+HCl
 Detection of Alcoholic Group

Sno. Experiment Observation Inference

1 Sodium metal test: Hydrogen gas Alcoholic group
Take about 2-3ml of the given organic evolved present
compound in a dry test tube & add a
piece of sodium metal.
2 Ester formation test: Sweet fruity odour Alcoholic group
Heat about 1.0g of the compound present
with 1.0ml of acetic acid & 1-2 drops
of conc. H2SO4.
3 Ceric ammonium nitrate test: Pink or red colour Alcoholic group
Take about 1.0ml of the given organic present
compound in a dry test tube & add 1-
2 drops of ceric amm. Nitrate
solution.

Sodium metal test. Sodium metal replaces hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group of alcohol,
forming sodium alkoxide & liberating hydrogen gas.
2ROH + 2Na  2RONa + H2

Ester formation test. Alcohols when heated with carboxylic acids in the presence of conc.
H2SO4 form esters which have a sweet fruity odour.
ROH + R’COOH  R’COOR + H2O

Ceric ammonium nitrate test. Alcohols react with ammonium nitrate reagent, giving a pink
red colour.
2ROH + (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6  (ROH)2Ce(NO3)4 + 2NH4NO3
2CH3OH + (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6  (CH3OH)2Ce(NO3)4 + 2NH4NO3
 Detection of aldehyde group
Sno. Experiment Observation Inference
1 Sodium bisulphite test: A crystalline white -CHO group present
Shake about 0.2g or 0.5ml of the ppt.
given compound with 1-2ml of
saturated solution of sodium
bisulphate.
2 2,4-Dinitrophenyl hydrazine test: Orange red ppt. -CHO group present
Shake about 0.2g of the compound
with about 2.0ml of 2,4-dinitrophenyl
hydrazine solution. Shake & allow to
stand.
3 Fehling solution test: Red ppt. -CHO group present
Mix equal volumes of Fehling solution
A & B in a test tube. Add a pinch of
the organic compound & boil for 5
minutes
4 Tollen’s reagent test: Silve mirror or a grey -CHO group present
Take 2-3ml of AgNO3 solution in test ppt.
tube & add drop of NaOH solution.
Now add NH4OH solution dropwise
till a clear solution in obtained. Add a
pinch of the compound & heat gently
in a water bath.

Sodium bisulphate test. Sodium bisulphate forms a white crystalline addition compound
with carbonyl compounds.
R-CHO + NaHSO3 

2-4 Dinitrophenyl hydrazine solution test. 2,4-DNP forms a condensation product with
carbonyl compounds.

Fehling solution test. Mixture of Fehling solution A & B provides a solution of Cu(OH)2
stabilised in solution by Roschelle salt. It is converted to red precipitate of cuprous oxide by
reducing action of aldehyde.
Cu(OH)2  CuO + H2O
R-CHO + 2CuO  R-COOH + Cu2O
Tollen’s reagent test. Tollen’s reagent is ammoniacal AgNO3 which contains Ag2O. It is
reduced to metallic sivler by aldehydes which appears as silver mirror on the inner side of
glass tube or a grey precipitate of Ag.
AgNO3 + NH4OH  AgOH + NH4NO3
2AgOH  AgO2 + H2O
RCHO + Ag2O  RCOOH + 2Ag
 Detection of Keto Group
Sno. Experiment Observations Inference
1 Sodium bisulphite solution test: Crystalline white >C=O group present
Shake about 0.5g of the compound ppt.
with a saturated solution of NaHSO3.
2 2,4-Dinitro Phenyl Hydrazine solution Orange red ppt. >C=O group present
test:
Shake a pinch of the given compound
with about 2ml of 2,4-dinitro phenyl
hydrazine solution.
3 Sodium nitroprusside solution test Red colour >C=O group present

Sodium bisulphite solution test. It reacts with ketones to form addition compound similar to
aldehydes.

2,4 Dinitro Phenyl hydrazine solution test. It forms condensation product with ketones
similar to aldehydes.

Sodium nitroprusside solution test. All ketones except benzophenone give a red colour with
sodium nitroprusside solution due to formation of coloured ions.
CH3COCH3 + OH-  CH3CO-CH2- + H2O
{Fe(CN)5NO}2- + CH#-CO-CH2-  {(Fe(CN)5NO.CH3CO-CH2)}3-