Which statement BEST explains how mutarotation occurs in solution?
A) Any C-C can break, opening the ring.
B) The hydroxyl group on the anomeric carbon "floats" between the α and the β position.
C) The hydroxyl group on the anomeric carbon comes off and then reattaches.
D) The bond between the ring oxygen and the anomeric carbon breaks, opening the ring, and then reforms, closing the ring again.
E) All of the above can occur in solution.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mutarotation occurs when the bond between the ring oxygen and the anomeric carbon breaks, allowing the ring to open. The open-chain form can then rotate freely, and when the ring closes again, the hydroxyl group on the anomeric carbon can attach in a different orientation, resulting in a change between the α and β forms of the sugar.

Which Statement BEST Explains How Mutarotation Occurs in Solution