[Proc. Roy. Soc. Victokia, 31 (N.S.), Part II., 1919]. 



Art. XVI.— O71 the Synthesis of Sugars from Formaldehyde, 

 Carbon Dioxide and Water. 



By ALFRED J. EWART, D.Sc, Ph.D. 



(Government Botanist and Professoi* of Botany and Plant Physiology 

 in Melbourne University). 



[Read 7th November, 1918]. 



In the Proceedings of the Koval Society of Victoria, Vol. 30, 

 1918, p. 200, a method was described of producing sugar from 

 formaldehyde by the joint action of boiling lime water and sodium 

 hydrate on formaldehyde. In the earlier experiments the by- 

 products were mainly calcium tartrate and sodium formate. In 

 later experiments the by-products were calcium carbonate and 

 calcium and sodium formates. The formaldehyde first used was a 

 sample of Merck's, purchased before the outbreak of war, and 

 used in preference because of its supposed greater purity. It seems 

 probable, however, that the appearance of tartaric acid was due 

 to the formaldehyde having undergone slow oxidation prior to 

 use, possibly in the presence of a trace of some metallic or other 

 oxidase, or of some accidental contamination. It is well known 

 that nitric acid, for instance, will slowly oxidize ordinary aldehyde 

 (acetaldehyde) to glyoxal, from which tartaric acid is readily syn- 

 thesized, as for instance by the addition of hydrocyanic acid, and 

 subsetjuent treatment with dilute mineral acid. Tartaric acid is 

 also readily oxidized to formic acid, and hence the reaction might 

 be reversible, xlttempts to synthesize tartaric acid from formic 

 acid by passing C'02 into a boiling solution of a formate contain- 

 ing reducing agents (powdered Mg.) and oxidizing agents (tl.^O.., 

 HNO3), failed, 'as was also the case when formates, Mg, COg and 

 water were kept under pressure for long periods of time. 



Similarly formaldehyde subjected to the slow and rapid action 

 of a variety of oxidizing agents at varying temperatures (HNO5, 

 H.,0„ K,Cr.,0.,, K^Cfy, K,.Cfy, etc.), failed to yield any tartaric 

 acid when used for sugar syntliesis. Ihe statements made in the 

 note first ]>u))lis]ied must therefore be modified in two respects, 

 namely : no taitrates are produced, and tiie resultant li(]uid is 

 oi)tieal]y inactive instead of showing a slight ojitical attivity. 



The puii)ose of the present work was to determine the best con- 

 dition foi- tlie synthesis of sugars froiii fornialdelivde nnd to obtain 



