Information About

Mutarotation




As the name suggests, it is the change in rotation ("Muta" means "Change").

Plane polarized light is obtained by passing ordinary light through a Nicol Prism .

During mutarotation, either α or β forms keep changing into the chain structure periodically to and fro.

Mutarotation also refers to the interconversion between the α and β anomers. However it must be converted to the open chain structure first before it can change conformation to the α or β position.


For example, in Glucose , carbon 1 (the aldehyde carbon) is the anomeric carbon. In fructose, carbon 2 (the keto carbon) is anomeric. Unlike the epimers, which are stable under ordinary conditions, anomers interconvert spontaneosly.