title: Zinc chloride mediated degradation of cellulose at 200 degrees C and identification of the products.
abstract: The effect of ZnCl(2) on the degradation of cellulose was studied to develop conditions to produce useful feedstock chemicals directly from cellulosic biomass. Cellulose containing 0.5 mol of ZnCl(2)/mol of glucose unit of cellulose was found to degrade at 200 degrees C when heated for more than 60 s in air. The major non-gaseous products of the degradation were identified as furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and levulinic acid. The maximum yields for furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural are 8% and 9%, respectively, based on glucose unit of cellulose. These yields are reached after 150 s of heating at 200 degrees C. A cellulose sample containing 0.5 mol of ZnCl(2)/mol of glucose unit of cellulose and 5.6 equivalents of water when heated for 150 s at 200 degrees C produced levulinic acid as the only product in 6% yield. The ZnCl(2) mediated controlled degradation of cellulose at 200 degrees C is shown to produce useful feedstock chemicals in low yield.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA. asamarasekara@pvamu.edu
authors.forename: Ananda S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Amarasekara
authors.forename: Chidinma C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ebede
mesh_terms: D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006868:Hydrolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C016837:zinc chloride; D002482:Cellulose; D005947:Glucose