Carbohydrates
Stereochemistry of glucose Although glucose is a simple sugar and a well-known compound, its structure and how it can be represented does pose some problems. It contains four chiral centres. This means that theoretically 24 (i.e. 16) stereoisomers are possible, arranged in eight diastereoisomeric pairs. This was first recognised by Emil Fischer, a German chemist, who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1902. Fischer...