Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: portugal on 21/08/2007 11:14:56

Title: ascorbic acid chemistry
Post by: portugal on 21/08/2007 11:14:56

Does anyone out there in the chemistry field know why ascorbic acid although its called an acid is not actually an acid?
As well as that question if ascorbic acid was to react with iodine would the two alcohol groups be oxidided to carbonyls?

thanks

Title: ascorbic acid chemistry
Post by: eric l on 21/08/2007 14:09:45

Quote from: portugal on 21/08/2007 11:14:56

Does anyone out there in the chemistry field know why ascorbic acid although its called an acid is not actually an acid?

"is not actually an acid" meaning that you find no -COOH group(s) ?  There are more like that :  e.g. phenol (C₆H₅OH) used to be known as "carbolic acid"...
Each of the -OH functions can make it an acid, because it can set free a proton (H⁺), and there are number of salts.
Wikipedia will tell you more :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascorbic_acid and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenol

Title: Re: ascorbic acid chemistry
Post by: William Hardy on 01/06/2021 12:54:49

Ascorbic acid is an organic compound with formula C 6H 8O 6, originally called hexuronic acid. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves well in water to give mildly acidic solutions. It is a mild reducing agent.

Title: Re: ascorbic acid chemistry
Post by: Bored chemist on 01/06/2021 14:12:03

Quote from: William Hardy on 01/06/2021 12:54:49

Ascorbic acid is an organic compound with formula C 6H 8O 6, originally called hexuronic acid. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves well in water to give mildly acidic solutions. It is a mild reducing agent.

Did you think that quoting a few lines from Wiki was helpful?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemistry_of_ascorbic_acid