C12H22O11

C12H22O11 is the molecular formula that describes several disaccharides, a class of carbohydrates formed from two monosaccharide units joined by a glycosidic bond. The formula is common to several isomeric compounds, most notably sucrose, lactose, maltose, and cellobiose, which share the same elemental composition but differ in the identity of their constituent sugars and in how they are linked.

Sucrose is composed of glucose and fructose linked by an α-1,2 glycosidic bond and is non-reducing because both anomeric carbons are involved in the linkage. Lactose consists of galactose and glucose linked by a β-1,4 bond and is reducing. Maltose (glucose–glucose, α-1,4) is reducing, as is cellobiose (glucose–glucose, β-1,4). These differences in linkage and sugar units give each disaccharide distinct properties despite the identical molecular formula.

The approximate molecular weight of C12H22O11 compounds is 342.30 g/mol. In nature and food, these disaccharides have varied roles: sucrose is a common table sugar found in sugar cane and sugar beets; lactose is a major milk sugar; maltose appears during starch digestion; and cellobiose arises from cellulose breakdown. Digestive enzymes such as sucrase, lactase, and maltase catalyze the hydrolysis of these compounds into their constituent monosaccharides.

Because several disaccharides share the same formula, C12H22O11 represents a family of isomeric sugars rather than a single compound.