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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: FranzPattison on January 16, 2018, 03:45:09 PM

Title: How to convert glucose to cellulose?
Post by: FranzPattison on January 16, 2018, 03:45:09 PM

I am wondering the theoretical procedure to convert glucose to cellulose.  In order to facilitate the 1-4 glycosidic linkages, I imagine I would need to perform a hydrolysis reaction?  It has been a couple years since ochem so I am rusty on the process needed to generate such a reaction.  Please help.  Thanks!

Title: Re: How to convert glucose to cellulose?
Post by: Babcock_Hall on January 16, 2018, 05:17:59 PM

What is your interest or application?  If you write a formal reaction, is water a reactant or a product?

Title: Re: How to convert glucose to cellulose?
Post by: FranzPattison on January 17, 2018, 12:17:21 AM

Hey, there's no actual application, ie: I don't actually plan on doing it, I'm just interested to know if it is actually possible and how it would be done.  I tried to draw out a reaction, but I honestly can't remember enough about organic chemistry to even know where to start.  Can you help?

Title: Re: How to convert glucose to cellulose?
Post by: Babcock_Hall on January 17, 2018, 10:02:29 AM

One way you could approach this is to treat carbon-1 on one molecule of glucose as a hemiacetal.  The reaction of the hydroxyl group on carbon-4 of a different molecule of glucose (the alcohol) with carbon-4 produces an acetal and water.  The bond between carbon 1 and carbon 4 is usually called a glycosidic bond, but glycosides are just a subclass of acetals.  Does that help?