Physical and Chemical properties of monosaccharide

A. Physical Properties:

• Generally crystalline solid.
• Have high melting point, very soluble in water.
• More or less sweet in taste.

B. Chemical properties:

• Have two sets of chemical properties.

a) that depend on -OH groups (Hydroxyl).

b) that depend on ester group.

• In monosaccharide, esterification on C-1 or C-5 or C-6 are found but in polymer, esterification on any position may be found.

Eg: 3’-5’ diester of ribose which makes up the backbone structure of RNA.

• Esters formed from the derivative of carbonyl group are more unstable than other sugar esters.
• Provide suitable leaving group for transglycosylation reaction that leads to synthesis of polysaccharides and other sugar derivatives.