Low Temperature, Single Solvent Process for the Production of Sucrose-6-Ester
AssigneeTate & Lyle Technology Limited
InventorsEdward Micinski, David Coleman, James Edwin Wiley, JR.
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Abstract
A method for the preparation of a sucrose-6-ester is disclosed. In a first step of the method, sucrose in a polar aprotic solvent is reacted with an organotin-based acylation promoter. The water of reaction is removed at a temperature that does not exceed about 80° C. In one aspect, the water is removed by distillation of part of the polar aprotic solvent at reduced pressure. In a second step, a carboxylic acid anhydride is added. In one aspect, the resulting reaction mixture is maintained at a temperature of 10° C. or less for a period of time sufficient to produce a sucrose-6-ester. The sucrose-6-ester can be converted to sucralose.
Claims18
A process comprising, in order, the steps of:
- (a) providing a first reaction mixture comprising sucrose, a polar aprotic solvent and an organotin-based acylation promoter;
- (b) removing water from the first reaction mixture to afford a second reaction mixture that is substantially free from water, and
- (c) adding a carboxylic acid anhydride to the second reaction mixture to afford a third reaction mixture, thereby producing a sucrose-6-ester;
- in which:
- a non-polar co-solvent is not added during step (b);
- and
- in step (b), the temperature does not exceed about 80° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.