Chemical Properties of Gluconic Acid
- Calcium gluconate is formed by the neutralization of gluconic acid with lime or calcium carbonate.
- By heating ferrous carbonate with the proper quantity of gluconic acid in an aqueous solution, ferrous gluconate or iron (II) gluconate can be produced.
- Gluconic acid partially converts to an equilibrium mixture with gamma and delta gluconolactone in water.
Gluconic Acid Formula
Gluconic acid is an organic compound that is also termed Dextronic acid and is one of the 16 stereoisomers of 2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexanoic acid. Its IUPAC name is D-Gluconic acid, and it has a molecular formula of C6H12O7. It is a non-toxic compound that can be found in honey, wine, fruits, etc. It appears as a colourless to light yellow, clear, syrupy liquid and has a mild acid taste. It is very soluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol, and insoluble in ether and many other organic solvents. It was first discovered by Hlasiwetz and Habermann in 1870, through the chemical oxidation of glucose. In the presence of the cyclic ester glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid exists in equilibrium in an aqueous solution. The salts of gluconic acid are called gluconates, where a gluconate ion is formed by gluconic acid in an aqueous solution at neutral pH. Gluconic acid, gluconate salts, and gluconate esters are abundant in nature as they can be produced by the oxidation of glucose. In an alkaline solution, the gluconate anion chelates Ca2+, Fe2+, Al3+, and other metals, including lanthanides and actinides.