A non-reducing disaccharide 'X' on acidic hydrolysis yields an equimolar mixture of two monosaccharides, 'P' and 'Q'. Which of the following reagents can be used to distinguish between 'P' and 'Q'?

Step-by-step solution

The non-reducing disaccharide 'X' is sucrose. On acidic hydrolysis, sucrose yields an equimolar mixture of D-glucose ('P') and D-fructose ('Q'). Glucose is an aldohexose, while fructose is a ketohexose. Bromine water is a mild oxidizing agent that oxidizes aldoses (like glucose) to their corresponding aldonic acids (gluconic acid) but does not oxidize ketoses (like fructose). Thus, it can be used to distinguish between them. Tollen's reagent and Fehling's solution cannot distinguish between them because, in the alk