Question

Explain charring (action of concentrated H2S04 on carbohydrate/sugar).

Answer 1

Sulphuric acid being a dehydrating agent removes water from sugar as carbohydrates. Carbon left behind is sugar- charcoal and the process is called charring.

\[\ce{\underset{(Sugar i.e. sucrose)}{C12H22O11}+ \underset{(cone.)}{H2SO4}->[Charring] \underset{(Sugar charcoal)}{12C↓+}11H2O}\]