A General Study on the Chemical Reactivity of Sucrose with Water

Sucrose is a kind of sugar. It is a disaccharide, which is a molecule made up of two monosaccharides, glucose and fructose. Sucrose is naturally produced in plants and is processed into table sugar.

Sucrose is harvested and refined for human use from either sugarcane or sugar beet. Sugar mills which crush the cane – are often located in tropical locations near where sugarcane is farmed. Essentially, it generates raw sugar, which is then transferred to other companies to be refined into pure sucrose. 

Sugar beet processing plants are located in temperate climates. It is a location where beets are farmed and processed before being converted directly into refined sugar. Sugar refining begins with cleaning raw sugar crystals before dissolving them in a sugar syrup. This sugar syrup is filtered and then run through a charcoal filter to remove any remaining colour.

Sucrose Structure

Sucrose’s glycosidic bond joins the two carbohydrate groups. A sucrose molecule contains no anomeric hydroxyl groups. As a result, sucrose is categorised as a non-reducing sugar because it does not function as a reducing agent.

                                                           Figure 1(Sucrose C12H22O11 )

Characteristics of Sucrose

Some Characteristics of Sucrose are given below:

• Sucrose is a white crystalline substance with a crystalline look.
• Sucrose has a monoclinic crystal structure.
• Sucrose has a boiling point of more than 186oC when heated. This chemical decomposes to produce caramel.
• At a temperature of 20 ° c, sucrose dissolves in water at a rate of 203.9g/100mL.
• Sucrose has a standard enthalpy of combustion of 5647kJ.mol-1.
• The Molecular Weight of Sucrose is 342.30 g/mol.
• Sucrose has a density of 1.587g/cm3.
• Sucrose has a melting point of 459 K.
• Sucrose Thermal Degradation: When sucrose is heated over 186 degrees Celsius, it begins a breakdown reaction that results in caramel.
• Sucrose Dehydration with Sulfuric Acid: Sucrose is dehydrated in the presence of sulfuric acid to produce a black solid that is high in carbon. This process’s idealised chemical equation.

Chemical reactivity of Sucrose with water

Hydrolysis 

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction of the interaction of chemicals with water, leading to the decomposition of both the substance and water. Reactions of hydrolysis are possible with salts, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc.

Sucrose hydrolysis breaks the glycosidic link, turning it to glucose and fructose. It is so slow that sucrose solutions can sit for years with little change. When the enzyme sucrase is added to the process, it proceeds quickly. The hydrolysis process is hastened by the use of acids such as cream of tartar or lemon juice, both of which are weak acids. During digestion, stomach acidity also transforms sucrose into glucose and fructose. An acid can dissolve the acetal connection that exists between them.

Sucrose is made up of one mole of D-glucose and one mole of D fructose, which are linked together by a glycosidic connection at the 1 and 4 carbon atoms of glucose and fructose, respectively.

When sucrose is hydrolyzed in alcoholic medium by HCl, a combination of glucose and fructose is formed.

sucrose + H2 O → glucose + fructose

C12H22O11+H2O HCl→ C6H12O6+C6H12O6

Sucrose and water

Sucrose is a polar molecule. The polar water molecules attract the negative and positive regions on the polar sucrose molecules, causing sucrose to dissolve in water. A nonpolar substance, such as mineral oil, will not dissolve a polar substance, such as sucrose.

As the sucrose dissolves, the molecules are totally enveloped by water molecules and move throughout the solution. Sugar dissolves in water due to the polar character of water as well as the polar nature of sucrose.

Water (H2O) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odourless, and almost colourless chemical substance that is the primary constituent of the Earth’s hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living species (in which it acts as a solvent). Each molecule is made up of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms that are bound together by strong covalent bonds. Water exists on Earth in three states: gas, solid, and liquid.

Sucrose Applications

Sucrose can be used in the following ways:

• This chemical is found in a variety of pharmaceutical products.
• It is used as a chemical intermediate in many emulsifying agents and detergents.
• It functions as both a food thickening and a food stabiliser.
• This molecule helps to increase the shelf life of numerous food products, such as jams and jellies.
• The brown colour of baked goods is caused by the use of sucrose in baking.
• Because it suppresses oxidation, this molecule also functions as an antioxidant.

Conclusion

In this article we learned that Sucrose is a disaccharide that is composed of glucose and fructose. Although it is frequently referred to as “table sugar,” it can be found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. However, it is also commercially generated through a refinement process from sugar cane and sugar beets. Hydrolysis. The glycosidic link is broken by hydrolysis, reducing sucrose to glucose and fructose. However, hydrolysis is so slow that sucrose solutions can rest for years with little change. However, if the enzyme sucrase is introduced, the reaction will continue quickly.