Additives for Materials and Chemical Intermediates

Sucrose, like other simple carbohydrates, is used as additive in mineral suspensions, concrete, and ceramics. The hygroscopic character of the carbohydrates and their ability to interact with colloidal inorganic particles and ions modifies the hydration phenomena within the suspensions, and consequently on the rheology of the medium and the kinetics (most often slowing down) of the 

Carbonized sugar derivatives are used as solid acid catalysts for the production of biodiesel fuel,349 and carbonized sucrose treated with ethylene and then pyro-lyzed provides materials used as hard-carbon anodes for lithium-ion batteries.439 

Among the products arising from sucrose degradation or thermolysis, HMF is a useful chemical that can be integrated in various synthetic schemes.228,342,346,440,441 

Sucrose-derived crown ethers (see the multistep section) have been prepared and their ion complexation studied.22,314 In addition to the complexation of metal ions by carbohydrates,107 oxidized carbohydrates and polysaccharides find use as detergent builders or co-builders because of their ion chelating and 

Sucrochemistry is already more than 50 years old, and has become a field of carbohydrate chemistry on its own. Indeed, considerable progress has been achieved in the monitoring of the chemical reactivity of sucrose, with the efforts of many research teams who have built on the steps of a few pioneers. Many sucrose derivatives can now be prepared, and sophisticated synthons as well as simple substituted compounds have been reported. However, only a few examples have yet reached the level of the industrial development, and these are mainly in the field of food and cosmetic additives and surfactants. Various polymers, additives for materials, and some chemical intermediates have also been produced. Bioconversions are certainly a major avenue for using sucrose as a starting material, and ethanol production will increase as a consequence of high oil prices. Current awareness of the shortage of fossil resources emphasizes the potential for chemical transformations of sucrose in providing new uses of this abundant natural resource. 

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