Isosaccharinic Acid Mediated Fine Chemicals Production from Cellulose

Indra Neel Pulidindi, Maria

Abstract

Cellulose (Avicel®) is converted to potentially useful products (formic acid, ethylene glycol, and lactic acid). Isosaccharinic acid is identified as the reaction intermediate. Homogeneous aqueous dispersions of cellulose were obtained with the aid of sonication (1 h.). The degradation of the cellulose dispersion was carried out in an alkaline (NaOH) medium under microwave (domestic) irradiation conditions. With 1, 4 and 10 wt. % cellulose dispersions, conversion values of 44, 58 and 54 wt. %, respectively, were observed upon 5 min. of microwave irradiation. The reaction products in each case have been analyzed by 1 H and 13C NMR.