Kinetics of equilibrium attainment between molecular glycolaldehyde structures in an aqueous solution

The kinetics of the isomerization and monomerization of the glycolaldehyde dimer in a D2O solution (pD = 4.3) at 25 degreesC is studied by H-1 NMR spectroscopy (360 MHz). The dynamics of the concentrations of seven dimeric and two monomeric glycolaldehyde forms present in the solution is examined when the system attains equilibrium. A kinetic scheme of equilibrium attainment in an aqueous solution of glycolaldehyde is proposed. The apparent rate constants of the transformation of the molecular glycolaldehyde structures into each other are determined.