Glycolaldehyde

• Glycolaldehyde
• Hydroxyacetaldehyde
• 2- Hydroxyethanal
• Biose

Colorless and odorless powder

Fixed

1.366 g · cm -3 ( 100 ° C)

97 ° C

Poorly in water

Template: Infobox chemical / molecular formula search available

Glycolaldehyde is the simplest compound of the group of hydroxy aldehydes. It has an aldehyde and a hydroxy group. Thus, one can formally associate it with carbohydrates ( Aldodiose ).

Occurrence

Glycolaldehyde generated in the degradation of ethylene glycol in the human body. Furthermore, glycolaldehyde was detected in outer space, including the star system IRAS 16293-2422. It is formed by the reaction of formaldehyde formose and may therefore have originated as early as the prebiotic stage of evolution.

Production and representation

There are a variety of ways to represent glycolaldehyde, for example, by careful oxidation of ethylene by means of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of iron ( II) sulfate.

By catalytic reversal of formaldehyde to glycolaldehyde can be produced from a C1 - module. This reaction is of importance in order to make the C1 - resource base (natural gas, coal, methane hydrates from the deep sea ) for syntheses available.

Properties

Glycolaldehyde is prone to dimerisation to 2,5- dihydroxy-1 ,4-dioxane ( CAS: 23147-58-2, mp: 85 ° C). It will still respond with propenal to ribose, an essential component of ribonucleic acid, and is therefore a precursor to the origin of life.

Use

Glycolaldehyde is the production of polymers containing free hydroxy groups, as well as used as an intermediate for various esters, and aminoalcohols.