FT-IR spectroscopy has become a powerful research tool for elucidating the
structure, physical properties and interactions of carbohydrates. It provid
es a new interpretive and experimental framework for the study of complicat
ed systems of natural polymers. This paper gives an overview over new infra
red applications in the study of carbohydrates, both small compounds and ma
cromolecules. These include a wide range of studies of carbohydrates in dif
ferent physical states, from the crystalline solid state to aqueous solutio
n, and special techniques, which expand the experimental framework to the i
n-mure studies of plant materials, and quantitative determination. (C) 2001
Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.