On the mechanism of the interaction of uric acid with Fehling reagent
Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City (CDMX), Mexico.
Research Article
International Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research Updates, 2026, 06(01), 012-015.
Article DOI: 10.53430/ijcpru.2026.6.1.0035
Publication history:
Received on 30 January 2026; revised on 11 March 2026; accepted on 14 March 2026
Abstract:
That uric acid gives a positive test with Fehling’s reagent for aliphatic aldehydes is unexpected. In this communication we give the mechanism of the interaction of uric acid with Fehling’ reagent. There is an electron transfer from the imidate at N-1 to a cupric ion, and the remaining free radical couples with an electron from the double bond. A five-member ring is formed in companion with an aziridinone. Alkaline hydrolysis gives a carboxylate and the remaining free radical is captured by a cupric ion, forming a carbonium ion which is neutralised by water. Basic hydrolysis of the pseudo hemiaminal gives a ureido chain at C-5 and a carbonyl group at C-4, which enhances decarboxylation. This way, the final product, 5-ureido-2,4-dioxo-imidazolidine, is formed.
Keywords:
Acetilenediurea; Aziridinone; Electron transfer; Fehling’s reagent; Free radical coupling; 5-Ureido-2,4-dioxo-imidazolidine
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Copyright © 2026 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0