Derivatives of the oxidation products of glycerol

The aim of this investigation on the oxidation of glycerol, was to discover a method of preparing dihydroxyacetone in higher yields than obtained by E. Fischer and J. Tafel Ber. 20, 3384 (1887). ) by purely chemical means. The literature on the purely chemical oxidation of glycerol is very voluminous See dissertation, pp. 19, 20 and 21. ). The oxidation of glycerol was examined with hydrogen peroxide and ferrous sulphate, with alkaline hypochlorite solution using cobalt acetate as catalyst, with bleaching powder and cobalt acetate and with bromine and soda. The latter method afforded crystallised dihydroxyacetone. Various hydrazones and osazones of this compound were prepared. Some of the osazones of dihydroxyacetone could only be obtained by first oxidising it to hydroxypyruvic aldehyde and reacting the latter with the appropriate substituted hydrazines. Various osazones of glyoxal were also prepared.