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Cover Picture: On the Mechanism of Lewis Acid Catalyzed Glucose Transformations in Ionic Liquids (ChemCatChem 9/2012)
Author(s) -
Pidko Evgeny A.,
Degirmenci Volkan,
Hensen Emiel J. M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201290031
Subject(s) - chemistry , ionic liquid , catalysis , isomerization , lewis acids and bases , fructose , ionic bonding , deprotonation , reaction mechanism , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , ion
Glucose Dehydration The cover picture shows that the distinctly different behavior of ionic liquid‐mediated Cr II , Cu II , and Fe II chlorides towards glucose conversion is determined at the stage of the initial coordination of the carbohydrate with the Lewis acidic catalytic complex. In the full paper on p. 1263 ff. E. A. Pidko, V. Degirmenci, and E. J. M. Hensen investigate the mechanism of Lewis acid‐catalyzed glucose dehydration using DFT calculations complemented by catalytic experiments and in situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. The unique ability of CrCl 2 catalyst to selectively dehydrate glucose is related to the formation of a coordination complex with glucose that directs its isomerization to fructose. CuCl 2 mainly promotes nonselective conversion routes initiated via the direct sugar deprotonation by the metal chloride complex, whereas coordination and activation of carbohydrates by FeCl 2 are not possible. (Cover illustration: ICMS Animation Studio, TU/e)