Mr Fenton, An attempted Synthesis of Uric Acid. 25 



An attempted Synthesis of Uric Acid. By H. J. H. Fenton. 

 [Read 14 November 1904.] 



Most of the so-called derivatives of uric acid have been syn- 

 thetically prepared by condensation of their characteristic parent 

 acids with urea, but in the case of uric acid itself this direct 

 synthesis has not been effected owing to the fact that its parent 

 acid — trihydroxyacrylic acid — is yet unknown. 



It has been shewn by the author in previous communications 

 that by the oxidation of dihydroxymaleic acid with ferric or mer- 

 curic salts it is possible to obtain the semi-aldehyde of mesoxalic 

 acid CHO . CO . COOH, and it is evident that the aldehyde 

 hydrate of this might be tautomeric with the desired trihy- 

 droxyacrylic acid. 



Attempts are now being made to bring about the condensation 

 of mesoxalic semi-aldehyde with urea and it seems not improbable 

 that under favourable conditions the synthesis of uric acid might 

 be accomplished according to the following scheme : 



H.C:0 HC(OH) 2 OH.C.OH /NH.C.NH 



I I II oo( || \ 



0:C -^ 0:C -»- OH.C -^ \NH.C CO 



I I I I / 



0:C.OH 0:C.OH 0:C.OH 0:C.NH 



or that, failing this, an acid isomeric with pseudo-uric acid might 

 result, namely, 



glyco-uril carboxylic acid 



H 



/NH.CNH V 



co; | ;oo. 



Xnh.cnh/ 



COOH 

 When the condensation is attempted in aqueous solution carbon 



