Cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone by the oxidizing agent sodium dichromate

[Eiteiou]

Hello! Can anyone help me in drawing out a mechanism for the oxidation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone? I will attach my work below, my main problems are, 1. Before adding the sodium dichromate dihydrate to the alcohol, we mix it with the acetic acid. Does this activate it, making it an oxidizing agent? How does that work? Does the acetic acid attract sodium ions, giving the poly atomic ion dichromate? If so, how does dichromate get to HCrO4^-? Does it react with the water from the sodium dichromate being a dihydrate? I'm not sure of the function of those water molecules. My next question, 2. Is where does the proton come from in turning the alcohol into a chromate ester? Is this the hydrogen dissociated from acetic acid when it picked up sodium, or from the dihydrate? I'm also unsure of the specific mechanism here. My last and most important question, 3. Is, I know the reaction will change from orange to green when oxidation is complete because the chromium ion begins as Cr6+ and is then reduced (as it is the oxidizing agent) but the lab manual says that Cr3+ is responsible for the green, however the reaction ends with HCrO3^- which would give the chromium ion an oxidation number of 4, not 3...any guidance would be great!

Edited November 3, 2012 by Eiteiou