| abstract |
An improved method is provided for the quantitative analysis of mixtures including various sugars, sugar alcohols and related dehydration products, whereby these are enabled to be effectively and accurately quantitated through gas chromatography, for example, by their derivatization with a carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid anhydride or halide in the presence of a metal triflate catalyst. The method can be carried out at essentially room temperature conditions, with a sufficiently rapid and complete derivatization, even in the presence of substantial amounts of water, that the materials to be quantitated do not substantially break down or degrade and substantially completely accounted for in a derivatized form. |