PCC
Name: Pyridinium chlorochromate
Common abbreviation: PCC
Type: Oxidising agent
Common use: Oxidation of alcohols under relatively mild, anhydrous conditions.
PCC is often taught as a way to oxidise primary alcohols to aldehydes without continuing to carboxylic acids under the usual controlled conditions.
What it oxidises
Section titled “What it oxidises”PCC commonly oxidises:
- primary alcohols to aldehydes
- secondary alcohols to ketones
Tertiary alcohols normally do not oxidise under simple PCC conditions because they do not have a suitable hydrogen on the alcohol-bearing carbon.
Why PCC matters
Section titled “Why PCC matters”The key teaching point is selectivity.
Many strong aqueous oxidants can take primary alcohols all the way to carboxylic acids. PCC is used when the desired product is the aldehyde.
Product guide
Section titled “Product guide”| Starting material | Typical PCC product |
|---|---|
| Primary alcohol | Aldehyde |
| Secondary alcohol | Ketone |
| Tertiary alcohol | No simple oxidation |
Comparison with common oxidants
Section titled “Comparison with common oxidants”| Reagent | Typical primary alcohol product |
|---|---|
| PCC | Aldehyde |
| Jones oxidation | Carboxylic acid |
| KMnO4 under strong conditions | Carboxylic acid |
| Swern oxidation | Aldehyde |
Common exam traps
Section titled “Common exam traps”- Do not oxidise a primary alcohol to a carboxylic acid when PCC is specified.
- Do not oxidise tertiary alcohols without additional chemistry.
- Check whether the question uses aqueous strong oxidant conditions instead of PCC.
- PCC contains chromium, so real lab use requires waste and safety handling under local rules.
Safety and handling context
Section titled “Safety and handling context”Chromium-containing reagents require controlled handling and disposal.
For real laboratory work, follow the local risk assessment, supervisor instructions and current SDS. This note is for study and documentation, not a substitute for lab-specific safety procedures.
Related pages
Section titled “Related pages”Quick summary
Section titled “Quick summary”PCC is a controlled alcohol oxidant.
Use it to convert primary alcohols to aldehydes and secondary alcohols to ketones in standard organic chemistry questions.