L-Gulose → Sorbitol

Participants

Reaction Steps

The present invention provides a method for producing L-sugars, including L-idose and L-gulose from D-glucose. The method comprises the steps of hydrogenating D-glucose to provide D-sorbitol, oxidizing the D-sorbitol to provide L-sorbose, racemizing the L-sorbose to a mixture of L-sorbose, L-idose and L-gulose, and precipitating the remaining L-sorbose with lime under cooling from a dilute solution. L-idose and L-gulose are recovered from the filtrate by crystallization. L-sorbose is recovered from the filtered solids by carbonation of the aqueous suspension and recycled.

Provenance & Evidence