Catalyzed carbon skeleton rearrangement of basic carbohydrates

Abstract

The essentials of a remarkable carbon skeleton rearrangement of aldoses catalyzed with molybdic acid and known as the Bílik reaction are introduced. The extension of the reaction to a mutual interconversion of 2-ketoses and 2-C-(hydroxymethyl)-aldoses is also described. Finally, the molybdic acid catalysis is briefly compared with other known systems catalyzing similar transformations.