Low catalyst loadings for the production of carboxylic acids from polysaccharides and hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

The oxidation of starch, xylans, potato flesh and wheat flour by H2O2, in the presence of MSO4 (M=Cu, Fe) as catalyst, led to depolymerization, and formation of solutions containing polyhydroxycarboxylic acids. Some of these oxidized compounds facilitate the process, leading to efficient transformations even with very low amounts of catalyst.Oxidative depolymerization of polysaccharides and natural materials occurs under Fenton-type conditions. Some of the oxidized compounds facilitate the process, leading to the valuable production of carboxylic acids even with very low amounts of catalyst. © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.