In chemistry, PCC stands for Pyridinium Chlorochromate. It is a mild oxidizing agent used primarily in organic chemistry.
Full Form:
PCC = Pyridinium Chlorochromate
Chemical Formula:
C₅H₅NH⁺CrO₃Cl⁻
It is usually a yellow-orange crystalline solid.
Common Use:
PCC is used to oxidize primary alcohols to aldehydes and secondary alcohols to ketones, without overoxidizing aldehydes to carboxylic acids.
Key Reaction:
- Primary alcohol → Aldehyde
- Secondary alcohol → Ketone
R-CH2OH + PCC → R-CHO
R2CHOH + PCC → R2C=O
Example:
Ethanol to Acetaldehyde
CH3CH2OH + PCC → CH3CHO + H2O
Why use PCC?
- It is selective and does not use water, so overoxidation to carboxylic acids is avoided.
- Preferred in anhydrous conditions.
