Reacting glucose with tollens reagent.

Background: Glucose is the primary energy source for our bodies. The structure
of glucose (below) shows that it contains an aldehyde group. This group can be
oxidised by Tollen’s reagent to form gluconic acid (below)

[O]

Gluconic acid
Glucose

Note: I can’t stress how important it is to close the ammonia bottle as soon
as possible.

1. Place 150 cm3 of the silver nitrate solution (0.1 M) in a 250 cm3 beaker.

2. Working in a fume cupboard, add ‘880’ ammonia using a dropping pipette until the
brown precipitate first formed re-dissolves to give a clear, colourless solution. Less
than 5 cm3 of ammonia solution should be needed. The solution then contains the
colourless complex ion, [Ag(NH3)2]+(aq).

3. Add 75 cm3 of the potassium hydroxide solution. A dark brown precipitate of silver
(I) oxide will form. Add more ammonia solution dropwise until this re-dissolves to
give a clear, colourless solution. About 5 cm3 of ammonia will be needed. This
solution is sometimes called Tollen’s reagent.

4. Pour this solution into the 500 cm3 flask and add 12 cm3 of the glucose solution
(saturated). Stopper the flask and swirl the solution in a hot water bath. The solution
will turn brown. Continue swirling until a mirror forms in about 2 minutes.

5. When a satisfactory mirror has formed, wash the solution down the sink with plenty
of water. Rinse out the flask well with water and discard the washings down the sink.
The flask can now be passed around the class.