Synthesis of L-xylo-hexos-2-ulose (L-sorbosone) and its characterisation by chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques

Abstract A modified pathway to synthesize on large scale l -xylo-hexos-2-ulose ( l -sorbosone), a potential intermediate in the biosynthesis of l -ascorbic acid in some plants, is described. The determination of the purity by thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary gas chromatography (cGC) and cGC–mass spectrometry (MS) is discussed. The product is for the first time unambiguously characterized by 13 C NMR and electrospray MS.