Which of the following alkanes can be readily oxidized to an alcohol by potassium permanganate ( KMnO ₄ )?

Step-by-step solution

Generally, alkanes are inert towards strong oxidizing agents such as KMnO ₄ . However, alkanes containing a tertiary hydrogen atom are an exception and can be oxidized to the corresponding tertiary alcohols. Let us examine the structures of the given alkanes: 1) 2-Methylbutane: CH ₃- CH ( CH ₃)- CH ₂- CH ₃ . The carbon at position 2 is a tertiary carbon, so it possesses a tertiary hydrogen atom. 2) n -Butane: CH ₃- CH ₂- CH ₂- CH ₃ . It contains only primary and secondary hydrogen atoms. 3) 2,2-Dimethylpropane: C (