HYDROGENATION OF GLUCOSE, FRUCTOSE, AND THEIR MIXTURES

Glucose, fructose, and their mixtures (inverted sugar) have been hydrogenated in the range 85 to 130 °C, 50 to 1000 psig, and catalyst loading 0.5 to 9% wt with Raney nickel, ruthenium, and rhodium catalyst. In every case the reaction follows a pseudo-first-order course. Ruthenium is the most effective catalyst, glucose is not hydrogenated in the presence of rhodium, and fructose is not hydrogenated with Raney nickel. Hydrogenation of glucose with Raney nickel and fructose with ruthenium can be explained by a mechanism involving the surface reaction between unadsorbed sugar and atomic chemisorbed hydrogen. © 1979, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.