Dithioerythritol

Dithioerythritol (DTE) is a sulfur containing sugar derived from the corresponding 4-carbon monosaccharide

Monosaccharide

Monosaccharides are the most basic unit of carbohydrates. They are the simplest form of sugar and are usually colorless, water-soluble, crystalline solids. Some monosaccharides have a sweet taste. Examples of monosaccharides include glucose , fructose , galactose, xylose and ribose...

 erythrose

Erythrose

Erythrose is a tetrose carbohydrate with chemical formula C₄H₈O₄. It has one aldehyde group and so is part of the aldose family. The natural isomer is D-erythrose....

. It is an epimer

Epimer

In chemistry, epimers are diastereomers that differ in configuration of only one stereogenic center. Diastereomers are a class of stereoisomers that are non-superposable, non-mirror images of one another, unlike enantiomers which are non-superposable mirror images of one another.center|350pxFor...

 of dithiothreitol

Dithiothreitol

Dithiothreitol is the common name for a small-molecule redox reagent known as Cleland's reagent. DTT's formula is C₄H₁₀O₂S₂ and the molecular structure of its reduced form is shown at the right; its oxidized form is a disulfide-bonded 6-membered ring . ...

 (DTT). The molecular formula for DTE is C₄H₁₀O₂S₂.

Like DTT, DTE makes an excellent reducing agent

Redox

Redox describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number changed....

, although its standard reduction potential

Reduction potential

Reduction potential is the tendency of a chemical species to acquire electrons and thereby be reduced...

 is not quite as negative, i.e., DTE is slightly less effective at reducing than DTT, presumably because steric repulsion of its OH groups makes the cyclic disulfide-bonded form

Disulfide bond

In chemistry, a disulfide bond is a covalent bond, usually derived by the coupling of two thiol groups. The linkage is also called an SS-bond or disulfide bridge. The overall connectivity is therefore C-S-S-C. The terminology is widely used in biochemistry...

 of DTE less favorable.

Dithioerythritol (DTE) is a sulfur containing sugar derived from the corresponding 4-carbon monosaccharide

Monosaccharide

Monosaccharides are the most basic unit of carbohydrates. They are the simplest form of sugar and are usually colorless, water-soluble, crystalline solids. Some monosaccharides have a sweet taste. Examples of monosaccharides include glucose , fructose , galactose, xylose and ribose...

 erythrose

Erythrose

Erythrose is a tetrose carbohydrate with chemical formula C₄H₈O₄. It has one aldehyde group and so is part of the aldose family. The natural isomer is D-erythrose....

. It is an epimer

Epimer

In chemistry, epimers are diastereomers that differ in configuration of only one stereogenic center. Diastereomers are a class of stereoisomers that are non-superposable, non-mirror images of one another, unlike enantiomers which are non-superposable mirror images of one another.center|350pxFor...

 of dithiothreitol

Dithiothreitol

Dithiothreitol is the common name for a small-molecule redox reagent known as Cleland's reagent. DTT's formula is C₄H₁₀O₂S₂ and the molecular structure of its reduced form is shown at the right; its oxidized form is a disulfide-bonded 6-membered ring . ...

 (DTT). The molecular formula for DTE is C₄H₁₀O₂S₂.

Like DTT, DTE makes an excellent reducing agent

Redox

Redox describes all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation number changed....

, although its standard reduction potential

Reduction potential

Reduction potential is the tendency of a chemical species to acquire electrons and thereby be reduced...

 is not quite as negative, i.e., DTE is slightly less effective at reducing than DTT, presumably because steric repulsion of its OH groups makes the cyclic disulfide-bonded form

Disulfide bond

In chemistry, a disulfide bond is a covalent bond, usually derived by the coupling of two thiol groups. The linkage is also called an SS-bond or disulfide bridge. The overall connectivity is therefore C-S-S-C. The terminology is widely used in biochemistry...

 of DTE less favorable. In DTT, these hydroxyl groups

Hydroxyl

In chemistry, hydroxyl is composed of molecules consisting of an oxygen atom and a hydrogen atom connected by a covalent bond . The neutral form is a hydroxyl radical. The hydroxyl anion is called hydroxide; it is a diatomic ion with a charge of negative one...

are on opposite sides of the ring, whereas they are on the same side of the ring (and, hence, closer) in DTE.