The 2:4-dinitrophenylhydrazones of some ketonic acids of biological importance

Abstract

DURING the course of some experiments on the carbohydrate metabolism of the liver it was found necessary to prepare the derivatives of certain com- pounds which were thought to be of possible biological importance. Among numerous derivatives prepared were the 2: 4-dinitrophenylhydrazones of mesoxalic, oxaloacetic and acetoacetic acids. As these compounds do not appear to have been described hitherto in the literature we record below our observations on their preparation, which requires some care, and their properties. We have also devised a quantitative method by which their identity may be verified.