Acid hydrolysis of sucrose causes

Options

A. Estrification
B. Saponifaction
C. Inversion
D. Rosenmund reduction

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Sucrose**: Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose. It is known to be a dextrorotatory sugar, meaning it rotates plane-polarized light to the right.

2. **Acid Hydrolysis of Sucrose**: When sucrose undergoes acid hydrolysis, it reacts with water in the presence of an acid (like hydrochloric acid) to break down into its constituent monosaccharides: glucose and fructose.

3. **Specific Rotation of Sugars**:
- Sucrose has a specific rotation of +66.5 degrees (dextrorotatory).
- Glucose has a specific rotation of +52.5 degrees (also dextrorotatory).
- Fructose has a specific rotation of -92 degrees (levorotatory).

4. **Calculating the Overall Specific Rotation**: When glucose and fructose are formed from sucrose, the resulting solution has a specific rotation that can be calculated based on the contributions from both sugars. The overall specific rotation of the mixture is -19.7 degrees, indicating that the solution is now levorotatory.

5. **Inversion of Sugar**: The change from a dextrorotatory solution (sucrose) to a levorotatory solution (the mixture of glucose and fructose) signifies an inversion in the optical activity. This phenomenon is referred to as the "inversion of sugar."

6. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the acid hydrolysis of sucrose results in the formation of glucose and fructose, and this process is known as the inversion of sucrose.

**Final Answer**: Acid hydrolysis of sucrose causes the inversion of sucrose.

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