Magnesium-sugar interaction. Synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization of Mg-sugar complexes containing beta-D-fructose

The interaction between beta-D-fructose and hydrated magnesium salts has been studied and complexes of the type Mg(beta-D-fructose)Cl2.4H2O and Mg(beta-D-fructose)Br2.4H2O have been isolated and characterized. On the basis of comparisons of the spectroscopic and other chemical properties of several structurally known calcium-fructose compounds with those of the corresponding magnesium complexes, it is concluded that Mg2+ binds to two sugar moieties via O(2), O(3) of the first and O(4), O(5) of the second and to two water molecules, resulting in a six-coordinate geometry around the Mg2+. The strong sugar hydrogen-bonding network is rearranged upon sugar metallation and the sugar moiety shows the beta-anomer conformation in these magnesium-sugar complexes.