31st Annual Student Research Conference
Synthesis of Potassium Glycolaldehyde Sulfate
Dorian S. Sneddon
Dr. Tim Humphry and Dr. Amy Fuller, Faculty Mentors
Sulfate esters are aerosolized compounds prevalent throughout the atmosphere, yet their properties are not entirely understood. It is known that they act as global cooling agents and possible cloud nucleation sites. An attempt is made to synthesize potassium glycolaldehyde sulfate from cis-2-butene-1,4-diol. After synthesis of potassium cis-2-butene-1,4-disulfate, two possible synthetic schemes are investigated: one utilizing ozonolysis and another employing an epoxidation, followed by a dihydroxylation and carbon-carbon bond cleavage with sodium periodate, to arrive at the desired product.
Keywords: Chemistry, Synthesis, Sulfate Esters, Atmosphere, Ozonolysis, Glycolaldehyde, Epoxidation, Dihydroxylation
Topic(s):Chemistry
Presentation Type: Special Request
Session: 203-1
Location: MG 1096
Time: 9:30