Hi,
I am writing an IB extended essay on the factors (pH, temperature, concentration of reactants) affecting the rate of metabolism of fluoxetine (secondary amine). The primary metabolic route is via demethylation (by oxydation) but I can't conduct any experiments with it since it is classified drug and moreover an experiment would need a use of an expensive enzyme (CYP2D6). Hence, I'm trying to oxidise another secondary amine to yield formaldehyde and a demetylised primary corresponding amine by using PDC. Here's my two problems:
Does pyridinium dichromate (PDC) oxidise formaldehyde?
Does PDC oxidise the methyl groups in secondary amines only? (or does it oxidise some other groups as well?)
Could you please provide the source for this information?
Thanks a lot
Tomasz

PDC is the mild oxidizing agent  and is safe to oxidise formaldehyde and it will not oxidise the methyl group of the secondary amines.