Acesulfame

Chemistry

Acesulfame is an oxathiazinone dioxide. Chemically, it bears some structural resemblance to saccharin. The hydrogen atom on the nitrogen is quite acidic (pKa ~2) and it readily forms salts as shown below. The sweetener is sold as the potassium salt.

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Data for acesulfame-K:
Molecular formula: C4H4KNO4S
Molecular weight: 201.24
Water solubility is ~27 g/100 mL and is quite temperature-dependent.
Stability is excellent.

Biology

Acesulfame is a small molecule with high water solubility. It is rapidly absorbed by the body and then rapidly excreted in the urine.

Discovery

Acesulfame was discovered by a chemist, Karl Clauss, in 1967. He noticed a sweet taste when he licked his finger to pick up a piece of paper in the laboratory(Clauss, K.; Jensen, H. Oxathiazinone Dioxides--A New Group of Sweetening Agents. Angew. Chem. Internatl. Ed. Engl. 1973, 12, 869-876.).
If you are interested in sweetener discovery stories, see The History of High Potency Sweeteners: Tales of Discovery.

Names

Acesulfame
Acesulfame-K
Ace-K
Acetosulfam
6-Methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide
6-Methyl-3,4-dihydro-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4-one 2,2-dioxide
Sunett™
Sunette™
HOE-095K

Taste

Acesulfame has a sweet taste; some people experience a bitter-metallic aftertaste (much like saccharin). Its onset of sweetness is rapid. The sweetness potency relative to sucrose is about 200, but depends upon the concentration of sucrose which is being matched. The concentration vs. response relationship in water (results in food systems will vary) is shown below. This graph is based on data from DuBois, Walters, Schiffman, Warwick, Booth, Pecore, Gibes, Carr & Brands in "Sweeteners: Discovery, Molecular Design, and Chemoreception," D.E. Walters et al., Eds., American Chemical Society, 1991. The equation allows you to calculate sweetness response (R) for any concentration (C). The units of R are percent sucrose equivalent; the units of C are parts per million (ppm).

Or you can rearrange the equation algebraically to
C = (470 * R)/(11.6 - R)

Other links

• The Nutrinova Company has information on its Sunett™ brand acesulfame-K.
• The American Dietetic Association has objective and well-documented information about sweeteners on its website.

© by D. Eric Walters

Data for acesulfame-K:
Molecular formula: C4H4KNO4S
Molecular weight: 201.24
Water solubility is ~27 g/100 mL and is quite temperature-dependent.
Stability is excellent.

Biology

Acesulfame is a small molecule with high water solubility. It is rapidly absorbed by the body and then rapidly excreted in the urine.

Discovery

Acesulfame was discovered by a chemist, Karl Clauss, in 1967. He noticed a sweet taste when he licked his finger to pick up a piece of paper in the laboratory(Clauss, K.; Jensen, H. Oxathiazinone Dioxides--A New Group of Sweetening Agents. Angew. Chem. Internatl. Ed. Engl. 1973, 12, 869-876.).
If you are interested in sweetener discovery stories, see The History of High Potency Sweeteners: Tales of Discovery.

Names

Acesulfame
Acesulfame-K
Ace-K
Acetosulfam
6-Methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide
6-Methyl-3,4-dihydro-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4-one 2,2-dioxide
Sunett™
Sunette™
HOE-095K

Taste

Acesulfame has a sweet taste; some people experience a bitter-metallic aftertaste (much like saccharin). Its onset of sweetness is rapid. The sweetness potency relative to sucrose is about 200, but depends upon the concentration of sucrose which is being matched. The concentration vs. response relationship in water (results in food systems will vary) is shown below. This graph is based on data from DuBois, Walters, Schiffman, Warwick, Booth, Pecore, Gibes, Carr & Brands in "Sweeteners: Discovery, Molecular Design, and Chemoreception," D.E. Walters et al., Eds., American Chemical Society, 1991. The equation allows you to calculate sweetness response (R) for any concentration (C). The units of R are percent sucrose equivalent; the units of C are parts per million (ppm).

Or you can rearrange the equation algebraically to
C = (470 * R)/(11.6 - R)

Other links

• The Nutrinova Company has information on its Sunett™ brand acesulfame-K.
• The American Dietetic Association has objective and well-documented information about sweeteners on its website.

© by D. Eric Walters