A D-aldopentose is subjected to Kiliani-Fischer chain lengthening and the resulting mixture is oxidized using nitric acid. The two distinct products both show optical activity. From this one can conclude that the original D-aldopentose ________.
A) must be D-ribose
B) is either D-ribose or D-arabinose
C) must be D-xylose
D) is either D-xylose or D-arabinose
E) must be D-lyxose

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The original D-aldopentose is either D-xylose or D-arabinose because both can lead to optically active products after Kiliani-Fischer chain lengthening and oxidation.

A D-Aldopentose Is Subjected to Kiliani-Fischer Chain Lengthening and the Resulting