Why do formic and citric acid reaction with potassium permanganate and tthe acetic dont?

this question is related to the denim industry, the formic and citric acids forms a brown solution and the reaction is effervescent

Answer:
H(CO)OH is oxidized to CO2 as permanganate is reduced to brown colloidal hydrous manganese dioxide.

HOC(COOH)(CH2COOH)2 is not normally considered oxidizable - a tertiary alcohol isn't going anywhere. However, if you beat on it with alkaline permanganate the alcohol anion shoots out formate alpha-anion that gets oxidized to CO2. The organic product is acetonedicarboxylic acid. That can in turn unzip in alkaline solution to carbon dioxide and acetone. Manganese dioxide is again the brown stuff.

Acetic acid is neither labile to oxidation under these conditions nor does it bear any clever functionality to open other reaction channels.

Acetonedicarboxylic acid is a starting material for synthesis of the tropane alkaloid skeleton including atropine, scopolamine, and cocaine. Ingested manganese is neurotoxic in humans.

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