title: Deuterium studies reveal a new mechanism for the formose reaction involving hydride shifts.
abstract: In the formose reaction, formaldehyde is converted to glycolaldehyde, its dimer, under credible prebiotic conditions. Breslow proposed a mechanism for the process in 1959, but recent studies by Benner showed that it was wrong in detail. Our present studies clarify the mechanism, which involves the original Breslow intermediates but some different connecting steps.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Columbia University , New York, New York 10027, United States.
authors.forename: Chandrakumar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Appayee
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Breslow
mesh_terms: D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D003903:Deuterium / Q000737:chemistry*; D019281:Dimerization; D005557:Formaldehyde
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D005557:Formaldehyde; C010963:formose sugars; D003903:Deuterium; D000079:Acetaldehyde; C010972:glycolaldehyde