The reduction of chromate by saccharides is of paramount importance in the context of chromiumtransport in biological and ecological systems. Potassium chromate has been shown to be reduced by d-glucose and D-fructose to form Cr(III)-saccharide complexes via an intermediate Cr(V) species. These saccharide complexes have been isolated in the solid state for the first time and characterized by analytical, spectroscopic, magnetic and electrochemical methods. Bridged dinuclear saccharide complexes of Cr(III) have been proposed. © 1992 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.