Efficient Ketose Production by a Hydroxyapatite Catalyst in a Continuous Flow Module

Ketose is a valuable industrial ingredient, but there is no effective synthetic method for ketoses. A hydroxyapatite (HAp)-loaded flow system was developed for atom-economical ketose preparation. This continuous flow system enables the efficient transformation from aldoses to valuable ketoses. In particular, ketotriose dihydroxyacetone was obtained quantitatively from glyceraldehyde in water through a HAp-packed column reactor without any decrease in yield during long-term operation.