Action of manganese dioxide on carbohydrates—I Some disaccharides

Manganese dioxide degrades 1 → 3, 1 → 4 and 1 → 6 linked hexose disaccharides to, inter alia, 1 → 2, 1 → 3 and 1 → 5 linked hexosyl-pentoses, respectively. The yields (18–31 per cent) compare favourably with those recorded for other degradations. The methods which have been worked out for the isolation of these products are experimentally straightforward, and should be generally applicable to mixtures obtained by oxidation of 3-, 4- and 6-substituted hexoses with manganese dioxide.