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Conversion of Polysaccharides to Sugar Alcohols: A Modeling Approach Based on Oligosaccharides
Author(s) -
Negahdar Leila,
C. Hausoul Peter J.,
Sibirtsev Stephan,
Palkovits Stefan,
Palkovits Regina
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of chemical kinetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.341
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1097-4601
pISSN - 0538-8066
DOI - 10.1002/kin.21160
Subject(s) - chemistry , sorbitol , monosaccharide , hydrolysis , hydrogenolysis , polysaccharide , catalysis , sugar , organic chemistry , acid hydrolysis , kinetics , physics , quantum mechanics
We extend our former kinetic and experimental study of hydrogenolysis of di‐ and trisaccharides using Ru/C in combination with a molecular acid as a catalyst system, to longer oligosaccharides up to heptasaccharide. The extended kinetics, despite the considerably more complex reaction network, reconfirms our previous hypothesis that reactions of oligosaccharides proceed through two competing reaction pathways, namely hydrolysis of oligosaccharides and their hydrogenation to a reduced form. This challenges the widely accepted supposition that conversion of polysaccharides to sorbitol passes consecutively through hydrolysis to monosaccharides followed by hydrogenation to sorbitol. This works also sets forth the hypothesis that hydrogenation of long‐chain oligosaccharides increases the rate of hydrolysis to a considerable extent and presents a significant alternative pathway in sorbitol formation.