Study on the Color Reaction Mechanism of the Seliwanoff Reaction with 4-Ethylresorcinol as the Color-Developing Reagent

Abstract

4-Ethylresorcinol was found to be a very sensitive color-developing reagent for the detection of ketoses, and was used to elucidate the reaction mechanism of the Seliwanoff reaction. The reaction product (I) responsible for the characteristic coloration of the Seliwanoff reaction was isolated and determined to be 2, 7-diethyl-6-hydroxy-9-(5-methyl-2-furyl)-3H-xanthen-3-one. Compound I was also isolated as crystals from the reaction mixture obtained by Kulka's modified method using 4-ethylresorcinol as the color-developing reagent.