Direct Analysis of Complex Reaction Mixtures: Formose Reaction

Briš, Anamarija; Baltussen, Mathieu G.; Tripodi, Guilherme L.; Huck, Wilhelm T. S.; Franceschi, Pietro; Roithová, Jana (2024) Direct Analysis of Complex Reaction Mixtures: Formose Reaction. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 63 (6). ISSN 1433-7851

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Abstract

Complex reaction mixtures, like those postulated on early Earth, present an analytical challenge because of the number of components, their similarity, and vastly different concentrations. Interpreting the reaction networks is typically based on simplified or partial data, limiting our insight. We present a new approach based on online monitoring of reaction mixtures formed by the formose reaction by ion-mobility-separation mass-spectrometry. Monitoring the reaction mixtures led to large data sets that we analyzed by non-negative matrix factorization, thereby identifying ion-signal groups capturing the time evolution of the network. The groups comprised ≈300 major ion signals corresponding to sugar-calcium complexes formed during the formose reaction. Multivariate analysis of the kinetic profiles of these complexes provided an overview of the interconnected kinetic processes in the solution, highlighting different pathways for sugar growth and the effects of different initiators on the initial kinetics. Reconstructing the network's topology further, we revealed so far unnoticed fast retro-aldol reaction of ketoses, which significantly affects the initial reaction dynamics. We also detected the onset of sugar-backbone branching for C6 sugars and cyclization reactions starting for C5 sugars. This top-down analytical approach opens a new way to analyze complex dynamic mixtures online with unprecedented coverage and time resolution.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	mass spectrometry; ion mobility; online monitoring; formose reaction; chemometrics analysis
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Chemistry
Divisions:	Division of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
Depositing User:	Ivana Vuglec
Date Deposited:	27 Mar 2026 09:01
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/11513
DOI:	10.1002/anie.202316621

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