sucrose

C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁
The king of all sugars. Together with cafffeine (C₈H₁₀N₄O₂), and nicotine (C₁₀H₁₄N₂) they make up the holy trinity of legal stimulants. However nicotine is falling out of favor among the new generation of geeks in favor of ginsing and green tea. (Personally my favorite legal stimulant is sex (Me₁She₂))

structural formula for sucrose:

   H   CH2OH
    \ /
HO   C -- O   H   HOCH2  O    H
  \ /      \ /       \ /   \ /
   C        C -- O -- C     C -- CH2OH
  / \      /          |     |
 H   C -- C -- OH     C --- C -- OH
    / \   |          / \     \    
  HO   H  H        HO   H     H    sucrose
                                   C12H22O11

Su"crose` (?), n. [F. sucre sugar. See Sugar.] Chem.

A common variety of sugar found in the juices of many plants, as the sugar cane, sorghum, sugar maple, beet root, etc. It is extracted as a sweet, white crystalline substance which is valuable as a food product, and, being antiputrescent, is largely used in the preservation of fruit. Called also saccharose, cane sugar, etc. By extension, any one of the class of isomeric substances (as lactose, maltose, etc.) of which sucrose proper is the type.

⇒ Sucrose proper is a dextrorotatory carbohydrate, C12H22O11. It does not reduce Fehling's solution, and though not directly fermentable, yet on standing with yeast it is changed by the diastase present to invert sugar (dextrose and levulose), which then breaks down to alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is also decomposed to invert sugar by heating with acids, whence it is also called a disaccharate<-- disaccharide-->. Sucrose possesses at once the properties of an alcohol and a ketone, and also forms compounds (called sucrates) analogous to salts. Cf. Sugar.

 

© Webster 1913.