What oxidation reactions can be used to identify the configuration of sugars?
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Solution
Oxidation reactions:
The reactions in which oxygen is added or hydrogen is removed are called oxidation reactions.
Oxidations reactions can be very useful in the identification of the configuration of sugars.
Oxidations reactions of sugars:
1. Reaction with Bromine water:
The reaction of an aldose with Bromine water forms aldonic acid.
2. Reaction with nitric acid:
The reaction of an aldose or aldonic acid with nitric acid produces a dicarboxylic acid in both cases.
Prediction of the configuration of sugars:
The above oxidation reactions help in identifying the symmetry in the molecules.
On oxidation, sugars like ribose, aldose, xylose, and galactose result in the formation of achiral aldaric acids that are optically inactive.
The oxidation of aldose sugars (diastereomeric) results in the formation of identical chiral aldaric acids, i.e, having similar configurations. For example, Both arabinose and lyxose give identical aldaric acid.