Following Glycolysis Using 13C NMR: An Experiment Adaptable to Different Undergraduate Levels

Abstract

This paper describes a laboratory exercise where the glycolysis of [1-13C] glucose under anaerobic conditions was followed using 13C NMR spectroscopy. The exercise is described in terms of its suitability for a variety of different undergraduate levels, although the emphasis in this paper is on its use in a n advanced chemistry laboratory course. The kinetics of the loss of glucose and the production of ethanol were investigated and found not to fit simple first or second order kinetics. In addition, the relative reaction rates of the two anomeric forms of glucose were analyzed, and it was determined that the I± anomeric form reacted faster than the s anomeric form. Using proton-coupled 13C NMR, some of the metabolites were identified including ethanol (major) and glycerol (minor). Reaction and spectroscopic details are included.