Properties
Permanganates(VII) are salts of permanganic acid. Permanganate(VII) is a strong oxidizer, and similar to perchlorate. It is therefore in common use in qualitative analysis that involves redox reactions (permanganometry). Besides this, it is stable.
It is a useful reagent, though with organic compounds, not very selective.
Manganates(VII) are not very stable thermally. For instance, potassium permanganate decomposes at 230 °C to potassium manganate and manganese dioxide, releasing oxygen gas:
- 2 KMnO4 → K2MnO4 + MnO2 + O2
A permanganate can oxidize an amine to a nitro compound, an alcohol to a ketone, an aldehyde to a carboxylic acid, a terminal alkene to a carboxylic acid, oxalic acid to carbon dioxide, and an alkene to a diol. This list is not exhaustive.
In alkene oxidations one intermediate is a cyclic Mn(V) species:
Read more about this topic: Permanganate
Famous quotes containing the word properties:
“A drop of water has the properties of the sea, but cannot exhibit a storm. There is beauty of a concert, as well as of a flute; strength of a host, as well as of a hero.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The reason why men enter into society, is the preservation of their property; and the end why they choose and authorize a legislative, is, that there may be laws made, and rules set, as guards and fences to the properties of all the members of the society: to limit the power, and moderate the dominion, of every part and member of the society.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)