Solvents for sugars

Water is, with few exceptions, an excellent solvent for sugars ranging up to the oligosaccharides and quite a few polysaccharides as well, and the reverse can be said of most of the common organic solvents. It is therefore, not surprising to find that the latter group has been neglected. 

There are fewer complications in the use of aprotic media as solvents for sugars, and a wide range of such media has been investigated for their potential utility. Several, in particular, methyl sulfoxide, N,N-dimethylformamide, and a number of nitrogenous, heterocyclic compounds, have proved to be exceptional solvents for the lower saccharides. 

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