Barfoed Reagent is an reagent used in carbohydrate testing to differentiate reducing monosaccharides from reducing disaccharides. The reagent consists of copper acetate dissolved in dilute acetic acid, producing a mildly acidic solution.
In acidic conditions, monosaccharides act as strong reducing agents and rapidly reduce Cu²⁺ ions to Cu⁺ upon heating, resulting in the formation of a brick-red precipitate of copper oxide (Cu₂O).
Reducing disaccharides react significantly more slowly under the same conditions, as they must first undergo acid hydrolysis to yield monosaccharide units capable of reducing the copper ions.
This difference in reaction rate allows Barfoed Reagent to be used for the qualitative differentiation of monosaccharides and disaccharides in carbohydrate analysis.
Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Data Sheet