Mechanocatalytic depolymerization of hemicellulose to low molecular weight oligosaccharides over an aquivion ionomer

Abstract

Here we report the mechanocatalytic depolymerization of hemicelluloses to low molecular weight oligosaccharides. We found that the catalyst performances were severely impacted by the water content and the residual amount of alkaline-earth/alkaline metals present in hemicellulosic samples. Under optimized conditions, water soluble oligosaccharides with DPs lower than 14 can be selectively obtained with up to 70% yield. Oligosaccharides can then be functionalized through a catalytic reductive amination, giving access to industrially relevant biobased chemicals such as hydrotropes and surfactants.