Ascorbic acid, also known as Vitamin C, is primarily produced industrially through a multi-step process that is based on the historical Reichstein process.
Industrial Production of Ascorbic Acid
The industrial method of creating ascorbic acid begins with glucose and involves a series of chemical and biological transformations. Here's a detailed look at the initial steps:
Step 1: Catalytic Hydrogenation of Glucose
- The first step involves the catalytic hydrogenation of glucose to produce sorbitol.
- This process uses a catalyst and hydrogen gas to add hydrogen atoms to the glucose molecule, converting it into sorbitol.
Step 2: Microbial Oxidation of Sorbitol
- Following the creation of sorbitol, it is then oxidized using the microorganism Acetobacter suboxydans.
- This biological process converts sorbitol into sorbose.
- The enzyme activity of the Acetobacter suboxydans is crucial for this oxidation step.
Remaining Steps (Brief Overview)
While the initial two steps are described, the overall process to produce ascorbic acid involves five steps. The subsequent steps, not detailed in the provided references, typically include further chemical transformations to convert sorbose to the final ascorbic acid product.
| Step | Description | Reactants | Products | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hydrogenation | Glucose | Sorbitol | Catalytic |
| 2 | Oxidation | Sorbitol | Sorbose | Microbial |
| 3 | (Not detailed in Reference) | Sorbose | Intermediate | Chemical |
| 4 | (Not detailed in Reference) | Intermediate | Intermediate | Chemical |
| 5 | (Not detailed in Reference) | Intermediate | Ascorbic Acid | Chemical |
Therefore, the initial, critical stages of making ascorbic acid on an industrial scale involve converting glucose to sorbitol and then using a microorganism, Acetobacter suboxydans, to convert sorbitol into sorbose.
