Tollen's reagent
Revision as of 06:17, 24 July 2013 by (username removed)
Description
An analytical reagent used to test for sugars and aldehydes. Tollen's reagent is prepared from equal amounts of 10% silver nitrate and 10% sodium hydroxide solutions. Once mixed, just enough dilute liquid ammonia is added to dissolve the precipitated silver oxide. Sugars and aldehydes react with Tollen's reagent to produce metallic silver forming a characteristic silver mirror.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Tollens reagent
Hazards and Safety
Old, opaque or dried solutions can be explosive.