When lactic acid is subjected to oxidation with Fenton's reagent, the main product formed is :

Options

A. Acetic acid
B. Oxalic acid
C. Pyruvic acid
D. Citric acid

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the oxidation of lactic acid with Fenton's reagent, we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the structure of lactic acid
Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the molecular formula C₃H₆O₃. Its structure can be represented as:

\[ \text{CH}_3\text{CH(OH)COOH} \]

This indicates that lactic acid contains a hydroxyl (-OH) group and a carboxylic acid (-COOH) group.

### Step 2: Understand Fenton's reagent
Fenton's reagent consists of iron (Fe²⁺) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). It is commonly used for the oxidation of organic compounds.

### Step 3: Determine the oxidation process
When lactic acid is subjected to oxidation with Fenton's reagent, the hydroxyl group (-OH) in lactic acid is oxidized. This process typically converts the alcohol group into a carbonyl group (C=O).

### Step 4: Identify the product of oxidation
The oxidation of lactic acid leads to the formation of pyruvic acid. The reaction can be summarized as follows:

\[ \text{CH}_3\text{CH(OH)COOH} \xrightarrow{\text{Fenton's reagent}} \text{CH}_3\text{C(=O)COOH} \]

This product, pyruvic acid, has the molecular formula C₃H₄O₃ and contains a ketone functional group.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Thus, the main product formed when lactic acid is oxidized with Fenton's reagent is pyruvic acid.

### Final Answer:
The main product formed is **pyruvic acid**.

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