The structure of glucose was determined based on evidence such as its molecular formula (C₆H₁₂O₆), formation of n-hexane upon prolonged heating with HI, reactions with hydroxylamine and hydrogen cyanide confirming the carbonyl group, oxidation to gluconic acid, and acetylation yielding glucose pentaacetate, indicating the presence of five distinct -OH groups.
How was the structure of glucose determined based on experimental evidence, and what key features support its assigned structure?
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The structure of glucose was determined through a series of experiments, notably by Emil Fischer in the late 19th century. Fischer’s work involved chemical derivatization and crystallization studies. He observed that glucose formed crystals with specific optical properties, indicating a six-carbon ring structure. Further evidence, including its reaction with reagents like bromine water, supported the presence of six carbon atoms. Fischer proposed the cyclic structure of glucose, and later work by other scientists, such as Haworth and Koenigs, refined it to the familiar hexagonal ring. Today, X-ray crystallography and spectroscopy confirm the precise atomic arrangement in glucose’s six-membered ring structure.