Question

Oxidation of gluconic acid with nitric acid gives

• A. n-hexane
• B. fructose
• C. glucose
• D. glyceraldehyde
• E. saccharic acid

Hint:

Oxidation of gluconic acid with nitric acid results in the formation of saccharic acid (glucaric acid), an important compound used in the synthesis of various industrial chemicals.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

When gluconic acid (a sugar alcohol) is oxidized with nitric acid, the oxidation occurs at the aldehyde group of the molecule, converting gluconic acid to saccharic acid (also known as glucaric acid). - Gluconic acid has a structure where an aldehyde group is oxidized to a carboxyl group upon reaction with nitric acid, leading to the formation of saccharic acid (C6H10O8). - Other options such as glucose or fructose are sugars, and oxidation with nitric acid would not lead to saccharic acid, but rather to other oxidation products. Thus, the correct answer is (E) saccharic acid.