What is the expected product when a secondary alcohol is oxidized?

When a secondary alcohol undergoes oxidation, the expected product is a ketone. This is due to the fact that a secondary alcohol has the hydroxyl (–OH) group attached to a carbon atom that is bonded to two other carbon atoms. During the oxidation process, the secondary alcohol loses two hydrogen atoms—one from the hydroxyl group and one from the carbon atom to which the hydroxyl is attached. This loss leads to the formation of a carbonyl group (C=O), resulting in the formation of a ketone.

In the context of oxidation reactions, secondary alcohols are distinct because they do not have enough hydrogen atoms available to be oxidized further to form a carboxylic acid without first forming a ketone. Therefore, ketones are typically the final product when secondary alcohols are oxidized in controlled conditions.

Other products listed, such as aldehydes, are typically produced from primary alcohols, while carboxylic acids can result from the further oxidation of aldehydes, and alcohols themselves would not be formed as a product from oxidizing an alcohol. Thus, the formation of a ketone from a secondary alcohol properly represents the expected outcome of this oxidation reaction.