Potencialidades e oportunidades na química da sacarose e outros açúcares Potentiality and opportunity in the chemistry of sucrose and other sugars

• Main Authors: Vitor Francisco Ferreira, David Rodrigues da Rocha, Fernando de Carvalho da Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Química 2009-01-01
• Series: Química Nova
• Subjects: renewable biomass; sucrose; carbohydrates
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-40422009000300007

<abstract language="eng">Non-renewable biomass, such as coal, oil and natural gas are not only energy sources but also important starting materials for the production of a variety of chemicals ranging from gasoline, diesel oil and fine chemicals. In this regard, carbohydrates, the most abundant class of enantiopure organic compounds, are very suitable for generation of chemicals of great practical value. Their bulk-scale availability associated with low cost make them unique starting materials for organic preparative purpose. They are a most attractive alternative for construction of enantiopure target molecules by asymmetric synthesis. This review addresses, in addition to the use of low molecular weight carbohydrates, issues related to renewable biomass from photosynthesis and alternatives for the production of bulk and fine chemicals.