Question

Glycerol is oxidized by bismuth nitrate to produce:
(a) oxalic acid
(b) meso oxalic acid
(c) glyceric acid
(d) glyoxylic acid

Answer 1

Glycerol are commonly known as the triols consisting of the three -OH groups and undergoes the process of oxidation (it is the process in which there is addition of the oxygen atom along with the removal of hydrogen atom) giving different oxidation products with the different oxidizing agents (they undergo reduction and gains the hydrogen atom and loses the oxygen atom).

Complete Solution :
- Glycerol are the compounds or the trihydric alcohols i.e. it consists of three hydroxyl groups that are attached to the different carbon atoms and they are commonly known as the triols. They are popularly also known as the glycerine. It is the simplest and the most important trihydric alcohol. Its chemical is; $\text{C}{{\text{H}} _ {2}} \text {OH-CHOH-C} {{\text{H}} _ {2}} \text {OH}$ i.e. propane-1,2,3-triol.
- Glycerol can form a large number of products on oxidation (i.e. the process of removal of hydrogen atom and the addition of oxygen atom). The actual product obtained depends on the nature of the oxidizing agent used.
- Bismuth nitrate is an oxidizing agent and oxidizes the glycerol to meso oxalic acid i.e. $COOH-CO-COOH$ i.e.

& \text{C}{{\text{H}}_{2}}\text{OH-CHOH-C}{{\text{H}}_{2}}\text{OH + Bi(N}{{\text{O}}_{3}}{{)}_{3}}\to \text{ COOH-CO-COOH} \\\ & \text{Glycerol Bismuth meso oxalic acid} \\\ & \text{ nitrate} \\\ \end{aligned}$$ **Note:** Glycerols occur in all the vegetable and animal oils and fats which are the triesters of glycerol with a long chain of fatty acids i.e. oils and fats are triglycerides and are commonly known as triglycerides.