Carbohydrate Structure: Anomers, Mutarotation and Ring Forms
Organic Chemistry · Biomolecules Carbohydrate Structure: Anomers, Mutarotation and Ring Forms Most carbohydrate confusion comes from moving between the open-chain and cyclic representations. Fix that and the chemistry is straightforward. BSc & MSc · Organic Chemistry · Concept The short answer: A sugar cyclises when its own hydroxyl attacks its carbonyl, forming a hemiacetal and creating a new stereocentre at that carbon — the anomeric centre. The two configurations are anomers, and in solution they interconvert through the open-chain form, which is what mutarotation measures. Open chain to ring A monosaccharide contains a carbonyl and several hydroxyls. One hydroxyl, positioned…