title: Mass spectrometric studies of fast pyrolysis of cellulose.
abstract: A fast pyrolysis probe/linear quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer combination was used to study the primary fast pyrolysis products (those that first leave the hot pyrolysis surface) of cellulose, cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, cellopentaose, and cellohexaose, as well as of cellobiosan, cellotriosan, and cellopentosan, at 600°C. Similar products with different branching ratios were found for the oligosaccharides and cellulose, as reported previously. However, identical products (with the exception of two) with similar branching ratios were measured for cellotriosan (and cellopentosan) and cellulose. This result demonstrates that cellotriosan is an excellent small-molecule surrogate for studies of the fast pyrolysis of cellulose and also that most fast pyrolysis products of cellulose do not originate from the reducing end. Based on several observations, the fast pyrolysis of cellulose is suggested to initiate predominantly via two competing processes: the formation of anhydro-oligosaccharides, such as cellobiosan, cellotriosan, and cellopentosan (major route), and the elimination of glycolaldehyde (or isomeric) units from the reducing end of oligosaccharides formed from cellulose during fast pyrolysis.
authors: School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. jdegenst@purdue.edu.
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Degenstein
authors: Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. hurtmatt@gmail.com.
authors: Matt
authors: M
authors: Hurt
authors: Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. pmurria@purdue.edu.
authors: Priya
authors: P
authors: Murria
authors: School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. mckayeaston@gmail.com.
authors: McKay
authors: M
authors: Easton
authors: School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. harshjc@purdue.edu.
authors: Harshavardhan
authors: H
authors: Choudhari
authors: Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. yang47@purdue.edu.
authors: Linan
authors: L
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. jriedema@purdue.edu.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Riedeman
authors: D epartment of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. carlsen@purdue.edu.
authors: Mark S
authors: MS
authors: Carlsen
authors: Dep artment of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. jnash@purdue.edu.
authors: John J
authors: JJ
authors: Nash
authors: School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. agrawalr@purdue.edu.
authors: Rakesh
authors: R
authors: Agrawal
authors: School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. delgass@purdue.edu.
authors: W Nicholas
authors: WN
authors: Delgass
authors: School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. fabio@purdue.edu.
authors: Fabio H
authors: FH
authors: Ribeiro
authors: Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA. Hilkka@purdue.edu.
authors: Hilkka I
authors: HI
authors: Kenttämaa
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis; D002482:Cellulose / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D006361:Heating / Q000379:methods*; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D056804:Biofuels; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D002482:Cellulose