Tollens' reagent is a chemical reagent most commonly used to determine whether a known carbonyl-containing compound is an aldehyde or a ketone.

Tollens' reagent can be used to determine whether the compound is a ketone or an aldehyde. Importantly, there is a special case in which Tollens' reagent will give a positive for a ketone; if the ketone is an alpha-hydroxy ketone, then the Tollens' reagent will react. In a positive test, the diamminesilver(I) complex oxidizes the aldehyde to a carboxylate ion and in the process is reduced to elemental silver and aqueous ammonia. The elemental silver precipitates out of solution, occasionally onto the inner surface of the reaction vessel, giving a characteristic "silver mirror". The negative result for the test is no precipitate of silver formed when the carbonyl to be tested is added. A ketone will give a negative result because it cannot be oxidized easily. A ketone has no available hydrogen atom attached to the carbonyl carbon, meaning it can't be so easily oxidized - unlike an aldehyde, which has this hydrogen atom. Fehling's solution is a chemical test used to differentiate between water-soluble aldehyde and ketone functional groups. Fehling's solution is made initially as two separate solutions, known as Fehling's A and Fehling's B. Fehling's A is a blue aqueous solution of copper(II) sulfate, while Fehling's B is a clear solution of aqueous potassium sodium tartrate. Aldehydes are oxidized, giving a positive result, but ketones do not react, unless they are alpha-hydroxy-ketones. it is important to note that Fehling's will not work with aromatic aldehydes.

2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH, Brady's reagent) is the chemical compound C6H3(NO2)2NHNH2. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine can be used to qualitatively detect the carbonyl functionality of a ketone or aldehyde functional group. A positive test is signaled by a yellow or red precipitate (known as a dinitrophenylhydrazone.) If the carbonyl compound is aromatic, then the precipitate will be red; if aliphatic, then the precipitate will have a yellow color.[2] The reaction between 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine and a ketone is shown below: RR'C=O + C6H3(NO2)2NHNH2 C6H3(NO2)2NHNCRR' + H2O This reaction can be described as a condensation reaction, with two molecules joining together with loss of water. It is also considered an addition-elimination reaction: nucleophilic addition of the -NH2 group to the C=O carbonyl group, followed by the removal of a H2O molecule. Potassium permanganate is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula KMnO4. It is a salt consisting of K+ and MnO4 ions. It is a strong oxidizing agent. Dilute solutions of KMnO4 convert alkenes into diols (glycols). This behaviour is also used as a qualitative test for the presence of double or triple bonds in a molecule, since the reaction decolourises the permanganate solution. It is sometimes referred to as Baeyer's reagent. However, bromine serves better in measuring unsaturation (double or triple bonds) quantitatively, since KMnO4, being a very strong oxidizing agent, can react with a variety of groups. Under acidic conditions, the alkene double bond is cleaved to give the appropriate carboxylic acid:[8] CH3(CH2)17CH=CH2 + 2 KMnO4 + 3 H2SO4 CH3(CH2)17COOH + CO2 + 4 H2O + K2SO4 + 2 MnSO4

Potassium permanganate oxidizes aldehydes to carboxylic acids, such as the conversion of nheptanal to heptanoic acid:[9] 5 C6H13CHO + 2 KMnO4 + 3 H2SO4 5 C6H13COOH + 3 H2O + K2SO4 + 2 MnSO4 Even an alkyl group (with a benzylic hydrogen) on an aromatic ring is oxidized, e.g. toluene to benzoic acid.[10] 5 C6H5CH3 + 6 KMnO4 + 9 H2SO4 5 C6H5COOH + 14 H2O + 2 K2SO4 + 6 MnSO4
Sodium metabisulfite or sodium pyrosulfite is an inorganic compound of chemical formula Na2S2O5. The substance is sometimes referred to as disodium (metabisulfite). It is used as a disinfectant, antioxidant and preservative agent.

The haloform reaction is a chemical reaction where a haloform (CHX3, where X is a halogen) is produced by the exhaustive halogenation of a methyl ketone (a molecule containing the R-CO-CH3 group) in the presence of a base.[1] R may be H, alkyl or aryl. The reaction can be used to produce chloroform (CHCl3), bromoform (CHBr3), or iodoform (CHI3).

Substrates that successfully undergo the haloform reaction are methyl ketones and secondary alcohols oxidizable to methyl ketones, such as isopropanol. The only primary alcohol and aldehyde to undergo this reaction are ethanol and ethanal, respectively. 1,3-Diketones such as acetylacetone also give the haloform reaction. In organic chemistry, this reaction may be used to convert a terminal methyl ketone into the appropriate carboxylic acid. The Schiff test invented [1] and named after Hugo Schiff is a chemical test for the detection of aldehydes.[2] An unknown sample is added to the decolorized Schiff reagent and when aldehyde is present a characteristic magenta or purple color develops. Schiff's reagent is a solution that will combine chemically with aldehydes to form a bright red product. Strictly speaking, ketones also react but for all practical purposes they can be ignored. The aldehyde condenses with the Schiff's reagent to make a new compound.