Sorbitol electrochemical oxidation

Some details are given by Merck in Ref. 112. The electrochemical oxidation is performed in alkaline solution using nickel or nickel oxide electrodes [113]. Hydrogen evolved at the cathode can be used for the hydrogenation of D-glucose to D-sorbitol, the first step in the vitamin C synthesis by the Reichstein route. Obviously, Merck doesn t use electrodes with high specific areas but prefers to stop the electrolysis at a conversion rate of 90%. The oxidation is completed with sodium hypochlorite solution. 

Electrochemical detection of carbohydrates at nickel-copper and nickel-chromium-iron alloy electrodes has been reported for sorbitol, and has been used as a detector for HPLC analysis [36]. Oxidation of various carbohydrates at the electrodes was used for detection, and baseline separation was achieved for mixtures of sorbitol, rhamnose, glucose, arabinose, and lactose. 

---