Research progress in the separation and purification of low-molecular-weight sugars and polyols

The separation and purification of low-molecular-weight sugars and polyols (LMWSPs) is a challenging task. In recent years, some progress has been made in the separation and purification of LMWSPs. However, there was a lack of comprehensive reviews on the latest research progress since 2020 in this field. It is necessary to summarize and discuss the latest research progress to advance technologies for reducing production costs and improving purity and yield. This article provides a comprehensive review of chromatography methods, membrane methods, fermentation methods, and solvent methods. Recent progress in the separation and purification of LMWSPs using these methods is emphasized. By surface modification of separation materials, innovative process design, optimizing operating conditions based on machine learning, and expanding product sources, these technologies have significantly improved separation yield, product purity, and economy. This article further explores the future research directions, aiming to provide a reference for the further development and commercialization of LMWSPs separation and purification technologies.