What are the functional groups present in the beta form of glucose?
1 Answer
Dec 21, 2014
The functional groups in β-glucose are hydroxyl and hemiacetal.
The structure of β-glucose is
At first glance, it appears as if every C atom except C-5 has a hydroxyl group, with an ether function in the ring.
But that's not completely correct. Only C-2, C-3, C-4, and C-6 have hydroxyl groups.
The alcohol on C-1 and the ether in the ring are part of a hemiacetal group — an alcohol and an ether on the same carbon atom.
We can see this structure in β-glucose.
So the functional groups in β-glucose are hydroxyl and acetal.