TOLLENS REACTION Meaning and
Definition
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Tollens reaction refers to a chemical reaction named after the German chemist Bernhard Tollens. It is a specific type of organic redox reaction used to distinguish between reducing and non-reducing sugars.
In the Tollens reaction, a reducing sugar, such as glucose, reacts with Tollens' reagent, which is a solution of silver nitrate in ammonia. The reagent contains the complex [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺, which acts as an oxidizing agent. The process involves the reduction of silver ions to elemental silver, while the sugar is oxidized to an acidic aldonic acid.
The reaction proceeds through several steps. Initially, the silver ions in the reagent are reduced by the aldehyde functional group present in the sugar, forming a silver mirror on the reaction vessel's inner surface. At the same time, the sugar molecule undergoes oxidation to produce an aldonic acid. The intensity of the silver mirror depends on the concentration of reducing sugar present in the solution.
The Tollens reaction is commonly used in analytical chemistry and biochemistry laboratories to detect and identify reducing sugars. It is especially valuable for detecting sugars that do not give positive results with other commonly used sugar tests, such as Benedict's or Fehling's solutions. Since the Tollens reagent is more selective in its oxidation process, it is less likely to generate false-positive results.
Overall, the Tollens reaction facilitates the identification and differentiation of reducing sugars by producing a distinctive silver mirror precipitate.
Common Misspellings for TOLLENS REACTION
- rollens reaction
- follens reaction
- gollens reaction
- yollens reaction
- 6ollens reaction
- 5ollens reaction
- tillens reaction
- tkllens reaction
- tlllens reaction
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- toklens reaction
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- tollwns reaction
- tollsns reaction
Etymology of TOLLENS REACTION
The term "Tollens reaction" is named after its discoverer, Bernhard Tollens, a German chemist. Tollens first described the reaction in 1880 while studying the oxidation of aldehydes using silver nitrate. Over time, this reaction became commonly known as the "Tollens reaction" in his honor.
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