Glucose Chemical Formula

Glucose is a natural form of sugar formed by plants during the process of photosynthesis. Glucose is also found in variable levels in the blood sugar of humans and animals. Glucose is a monosaccharide sugar which is white in color and is soluble in water.

Table of Content

• • Chemical formula of Glucose
  • Structural formula of Glucose
  • Characters suggest the structure of Glucose
  • Chemical reactions of Glucose

Chemical Formula Of Glucose

Structural Formula of Glucose

Structural formula of Glucose is as shown below. Glucose contains 6 carbon atoms and belongs to aldehyde group. Glucose may be found in either linear form or cyclic form. Glucose is the basic energy contributor for the human body.

• For more information about the structure of glucose you may visit:  structure of glucose

Characters suggest the structure of Glucose

The open chain structure of glucose is CH₂OH(CHOH)₄CHO. The following characteristics suggest the structure of glucose.

Reaction due to alcoholic (OH) groups:

There are four secondary  and one primary alcoholic groups  present in the molecule of glucose. The reactions are given below. 

Upon acetylation with acetyl chloride or acetic anhydride , glucose forms penta acetyl derivatives. This shows that the five -OH group is attached to five different carbon atoms.

    CHO(CHOH)₄CH₂OH + 5(CH₃CO)₂O   →  CHO(CHOCOCH₃)₄CH₂OCOCH₃ + 5CH₃COOH

Reaction:

Glucose is reduced with HI and red phosphorus upon prolonged heating produces n-hexane. This suggests that all the six carbon atoms in the glucose are linked  to form a straight chain.

      CHO(CHOH)₄CH₂OH  ⟶ CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₃

                Glucose                                   n- hexane

Oxidation:

With a mild oxidizing agent  like  bromine water,  glucose is oxidised to  gluconic acid which is a monocarboxylic acid with 6 carbon atoms. This shows that the carbonyl group present in glucose is an aldehydic group.

                   CHO(CHOH)₄CH₂OH  ⟶ CH₂OH(CHOH)₄COOH

                          Glucose                                   Gluconic acid

When oxidised with a strong oxidizing agent like concentrated HNO₃ ,  glucose is oxidised to a  dicarboxylic acid saccharic acid.  The formation of di carboxylic acid shows the presence of  a primary alcoholic group. We may now conclude that out of these one is primary alcoholic group while other four are secondary alcoholic groups

         CHO(CHOH)₄CH₂OH  ⟶  COOH(CHOH)₄COOH

                    Glucose                                    Saccharic acid

Chemical properties of Glucose:

Action with Tollen’s reagent:

Tollen’s reagent is an ammoniacal silver nitrate solution reacting with a glucose solution, and a shining mirror gets deposited at the bottom of the tube.

CHO(CHOH)₄CH₂OH + 2Ag(NH₃)₂OH   ⟶  COOH(CHOH)₄CH₂OH + 2Ag  + 4NH₃ + H₂O

Action with Fehling’s solution:

When Fehling solutions heated with glucose solution give red precipitate of Cu₂O.

CHO(CHOH)₄CH₂OH + 2Cu²⁺  + 4OH^–   ⟶  COOH(CHOH)₄CH₂OH + Cu₂O  + H₂O

• For the preparation and FAQs of glucose you may visit: Glucose-C₆H₁₂O₆

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