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Why are sugars powerful reducing agent in alkaline medium???

Why are sugars powerful reducing agent in alkaline medium???

Grade:12th pass

2 Answers

Arun
25750 Points
4 years ago
All the sugars that contain the free sugar group undergo enolization and various other changes when placed in alkaline solution. The enediol forms of the sugars are highly reactive and are easily oxidized by oxygen and other oxidizing agents. These sugars in alkaline solution are very powerful reducing agents and the sugars are oxidized to complex mixtures of acids. 
 
 
This reducing action of sugars in alkaline solution is utilized for both the qualitative and quantitative estimation of sugars. When a reducing sugar is heated with the alkaline copper reagents, the following reaction occurs: 
 
 
        Sugar + alkali →  Dienol
Vikas TU
14149 Points
4 years ago
Dear student 
Example of above question are: 
SO2 acts as a reducing agent because of the liberation of nescent hydrogen in the presence of moisture;
SO2 + 2H2O ---> H2SO4 +2H Alkali neutralises the acid (H2SO4) and shifts the equilibrium in the forward direction producing more nascent hydrogen.however,in acidic medium,the equilibrium is suppressed resulting in a lesser amount of nascant hydrogen.consequently,SO2 is better reducing agent in alkaline medium than in the acidic medium
 

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