Surprises in Crystal Chemistry of Sugars

Abstract

The supramolecular chemistry of polyhydroxylated compounds (called carbohydrates) is well established. It essentially comprises strong O–H···O and C–H···O H-bonds. The crystallization of these compounds has been carried out innumerable times and has resulted in the formation of a single polymorph only. But recent efforts directed toward the structure determination and observation of polymorphism in this class of compounds have led to the discovery of new forms of two well-known sugar molecules, namely ribose and sucrose. This perspective aims to highlight the significant features associated with this novel discovery, with subsequent implications in the biological function of these compounds.