The science of sweeter sugars

2018-09-07T10:02:00

Source: Paul Cummings / Shutterstock.com

The sweetest saccharides form the strongest and shortest hydrogen bonds

Sugars that form shorter and stronger hydrogen bonds with neighbouring water molecules taste sweeter, chemists from Italy and the UK have discovered. Understanding how chemical structure relates to sweetness could help scientists create better artificial and non-caloric sweeteners. Humans recognise sweet tastes thanks to receptors in their taste buds that interact with saccharides.

Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor.

A photograph of a teacher standing in a white lab coat, speaking with a class of children in a laboratory, is superimposed on a colourful background. Text reads "Teach Chemistry means support for classroom and staff room".

Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access

Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.

Get all this, plus much more:

unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
applications for funding to support your lessons

Set up your Teach Chemistry account

Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.

Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.