No abstract

Chiral Lactols, XII. – Studies on the Aldolization of Glycolaldehyde Catalyzed by Bases Base‐catalyzed aldolization of the glycolaldehyde derivative 1 is studied under various reaction conditions. The resulting products, tetrose and hexose derivatives 2–11, are reduced to the corresponding sugar alcohols and analyzed by HPL chromatography. All experiments leading to a trimerization of 1 give threose 3 as major product among the tetroses and allose 4 among the hexoses. An exception is the reaction catalyzed by LiOH, in which trimerization of 1 to the corresponding hexose derivatives proceeds much slower and as products galactose 10 together with glucose 6 are favored above the other hexoses.

Experiments will be presented and reviewed to support the hypothesis that the intrinsic reactivity of formaldehyde may lead to the formation of a rather comprehensive set of defined biomolecules, including D-glucose, thus fostering concepts of evolution considering the existence of a premetabolic system as a primordial step in the generation of life.

No abstract