Sucrose chemistry surfactants

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. 

In the structuring of this program, no attempt has been made to be encyclopedic rather the aim has been to display a sampling of the work by some of the star performers, selected to illustrate how some of the difficulties have been surmounted and to recount some of the rewarding achievements in this quarter century of exploration. In the first section the concepts and evolution of an intriguing, fundamental chemistry of the sucrose molecule are explored. Three sections are devoted to illustrating some of the industrial applications of sucrochemistry in surfactants, surface coatings, urethane plastics, and fermentation processes. The symposium closes with discussions of the business and economic forecasts for sucrochemistry. 

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