Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Constitution of Ascorbic Acid

Nature volume 131, page 617 (1933)Cite this article

Abstract

WE have now confirmed the accuracy of the structure (I) cooH.co.co.CHOH.CHOH.CH2OH which we had previously assigned to the first (reversible) oxidation product of ascorbic acid on the ground that it yields oxalic acid and trihydroxybutyric acid (l–threonic acid) on further oxidation1. The above formulation represents an open chain acid, but it is now evident that at the moment of formation the substance behaves as a lactone of (I) and not as the free acid. We have already advanced a constitutional formula for ascorbic acid (represented by (II) and its tautomerides) which shows the relationship between (I) and (II) to be as follows :2

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. NATURE, 130, 888 ; 1932.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. J.S.C.I.(Chemistry and Industry), 52, 221; 1933.

  3. Helv. Chim. Acta, 16, 181 ; 1933.

  4. NATURE, 131, 274, Feb. 25, 1933.

  5. Z. physiol. Chem., 215, 222 ; 1933.

  6. Helv. Chim. Acta, 16, 302 ; 1933.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Department, University of Birmingham,

    E. L. HIRST, E. G. V. PERCIVAL & F. SMITH

Authors
  1. E. L. HIRST
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. G. V. PERCIVAL
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. F. SMITH
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

HIRST, E., PERCIVAL, E. & SMITH, F. Constitution of Ascorbic Acid. Nature 131, 617 (1933). https://doi.org/10.1038/131617a0

Download citation

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/131617a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing