Oxidation of Wheat Starch With Alkaline Hypochlorite

The starch was oxidized with 5.5 base molar equivalents of 0.43 M calcium hypochlorite kept near pH 12 and 20°. The rate of oxidation was consistent with the occurrence of two first-order reactions differing in rate by a factor of 10, the more rapid of which consumed about 4 moles of hypochlorite for each C6H10O5 unit actually oxidized. Oxalic acid (0.2 mole) and perhaps carbonic acid [Formula: see text] were formed directly, but it was necessary to hydrolyze the product in order to liberate D-glucose (0.4 mole), glyoxylic acid (0.03 mole), D-erythronic acid (0.11 mole), mesotartaric acid (0.02 mole), D-tartaric acid (0.02 mole), L-tartaric acid (0.01 mole), D-glucuronic acid (0.004 mole), and probably tartronic acid [Formula: see text].