A MODIFICATION OF THE MECHANISM OF FORMATION OF METHYL GALACTOSIDES BY THE FISCHER REACTION INCLUDING A COMPUTER SIMULATION

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0008-6215(00)90131-9

The Fischer reaction of D-galactose and methanol, catalyzed by a strongly acidic ion-exchange resin, to form the four methyl galactosides has been run at two temperatures under conditions that allow a computer simulation of the mechanism.The reaction was followed by gas-liquid chromatography of the trimethylsilyl ethers.The data obtained differs appreciably from that described in a previous paper owing to an error in peak assignment in that paper.The mechanism previously proposed, however, has required only a slight modification to explain the new data.A possible set of rate constants, equilibrium constants, and apparent activation energies which fit the experimental data have been obtained.