Real-time benchtop NMR spectroscopy for the online monitoring of sucrose hydrolysis

Abstract

The online monitoring of chemical reactions by using benchtop Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has become increasingly attractive for the past few years. The use of quantitative online NMR spectroscopy is a promising alternative to traditional analytical methods with its rapid, quantitative and non-invasive nature that makes it applicable to complex and diverse biochemical mixtures like food systems. In this study, sucrose hydrolysis by invertase was chosen as a model reaction for online monitoring. Rather than conventional NMR spectroscopy experiments that rely on the use of deuterated water, the benchtop setting allows working in protonated solvents, and tailored water suppression techniques were used to make quantification more accurate. For the hydrolysis reaction, a 10% sucrose solution was hydrolyzed. The kinetic constants determined by the fractional conversion model were comparable to the results obtained in other studies. Quantitative online NMR spectroscopy can be considered as a promising tool for monitoring food processes in a continuous mode.