Enzymatic oxidation of lignin and compounds modeling it. III. Formation of singlet oxygen in the peroxidase oxidation of lignin

The main emitters of radiation in the aerobic oxidation of lignin are the carbonyl groups in an excited state and singlet oxygen. It has been shown that the main source of O₂(¹) may be the radical anion O^–·₂. Singlet oxygen and the radical anion are by-products of the radical oxidation of lignin.Siberian Scientific-Research Institute of Cellulose and Board, Bratsk. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 510–514, July–August, 1984.     

Rapid microwave-hydrothermal conversion of lignin model compounds to value-added products via catalytic oxidation using metal organic frameworks

Microwave irradiation is an effective method for faster heating to shorten reaction time of oxidative valorization of lignin. However, studies using microwave irradiation for lignin oxidation all employ homogeneous catalysis. Thus, this study aims to investigate heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of lignin under microwave irradiation. Especially, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are adopted as transition metal-containing heterogeneous catalysts for lignin oxidation. In particularly, MOFs (MIL-101 (Cr), MIL-101 (Fe), UiO-66, HKUST-1, and MOF-801) are also prepared using microwave irradiation and used as for oxidative conversion of a model lignin compound, vanillyl alcohol (VAL), to the valuable products, vanillin (VN) and vanillic acid (VAC), using H₂O₂ as an oxidant. While the tested MOFs all exhibit catalytic activities for VAL conversion to VN/VAC, MIL-101 and MOF-801 appear to be relatively effective. Through investigating the effect of temperature, VAL conversion to VN/VAC is less favorable at higher temperature possibly due to degradation of H₂O₂ at high temperatures. While a higher dosage of H₂O₂ increases VAL conversion, the additionally added H₂O₂ seems to further oxidize VN to VAC instead of converting more VAL to VN. Through the EPR analyses, the mechanism of VAL conversion to VN/VAC may be attributed to both the OH-based and non-OH^? routes. The most effective MOF, MOF-801, also exhibited very similar catalytic activities over several cycles. The results indicate that MOFs can convert VAL to valuable products of VN and VAC within a very short time (10 min) under microwave irradiation. MOF-801 was also validated as a promising MOF for VAL conversion.     

On the mechanism of vanillin formation in the catalytic oxidation of lignin with oxygen

The influence of catalyst (CuSO₄ solution), pH and temperature on the vanillin formation and oxygen consumption in oxidation of lignin in alkaline media have been studied. It was shown that the main role of catalyst in the lignin oxidation is to change the selectivity of hydroperoxide fragmentation rather than to accelerate oxidation.     

The catalytic oxidation of biomass to new materials focusing on starch,cellulose and lignin

Biomass is a renewable class of materials of growing interest amongst researchers aiming to achieve global sustainability. This review focuses on the homogeneous catalysis of the oxidation of biomass, in particular starch, cellulose and lignin. Often such catalytic reactions lead to depolymerisation of the material as happens in Nature with for example brown rot fungi. This depolymerisation can be desirable or not, and control in industrial applications is thus important to obtain the desired outcome. The two main oxidants in use are O₂ and H₂O₂ and their use is described as appropriate. Industrial oxidation catalysis is highly significant in the bleaching of cellulose-containing materials due to its high volume application in the paper, pulp and laundry industries. Here, the presence of a ligand on the oxidising metal ion has a significant effect on the catalyst selectivity and stability. In addition to the bleaching of cellulose-containing materials, the oxidation of cellulose, starch, lignin and lignin model compounds are discussed with a focus on generating even more hydrophilic materials which have important applications or materials which may be further modified. Finally developing applications of biomass are described such as new support materials for catalysts, as supports for sensors and nanomaterials for microbial culture.     

Biomass Photochemistry. V. Modifications of Lignin by Photochemical Treatment and Its Chemiluminescence

Lignin modifications resulting from different photochemical pre-treatments were studied using chemiluminescent methods. In the oxidation of lignin in NaOH solutions at 25°C, the intensity increased with increasing temperature and can be described by an Arrheniustype exponential equation with an activation energy of 25.8 ± 2.7 kJ/ mol. The oxidation of lignin model compounds under these conditions indicated ¹O₂ OH′, and O₂ generation. Chemiluminescence of the luminol/H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ system was used to study decomposition products of lignin upon irradiation. Unirradiated lignin proved to be an excellent radical trap, an effect initially abolished upon irradiation. At longer irradiation times, however, the radical trapping behavior was restored. The action of the perodidase/H₂ O₂ system onlignin was also investigated using chemiluminescence. Behavior very similar to that using luninol was observed. The intensity increases with increasing time of irradiation up to an optimum value. More prolonged irradiation results in total quenching of the cheiluminescemce. This is indicative of depolymerization and posterior aggregation.     

Cerium(IV)-driven oxidation of water catalyzed by mononuclear ruthenium complexes

This paper reviews results from study of mononuclear ruthenium complexes capable of catalyzing the oxidation of water to molecular oxygen. These catalysts may be classified into three groups, with different rate laws associated with O₂ evolution. In one class, O₂ evolution proceeds via radical coupling of the oxygen atom of an Ru^V=O species with a hydroxocerium(IV) ion. O₂ evolution catalyzed by the second class occurs via acid–base reaction of the oxygen atom of an Ru^V=O species with a water molecule. In the third group, the dominant mechanism is oxo–oxo radical coupling between two Ru^V=O species. Several significant properties of the oxidant Ce(IV) are also discussed, including the singlet biradical character of the hydroxocerium(IV) ion.     

Mechanistic studies on the effect of veratryl alcohol on the lignin peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of pyrogallol red in reversed micelles

The lignin peroxidase (LiP) catalyzed oxidation of pyrogallol red (PR) in the absence and presence of veratryl alcohol (3,4-dimethoxybenzyl alcohol, VA) was carried out in bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium (AOT)/ polyoxyethylene lauryl ether (Brij30) reversed micelles to elucidate the role of VA. Results indicated that VA could accelerate the LiP catalyzed oxidation of PR, especially at low H₂O₂ concentrations. Unlike in bulk aqueous medium, the protection of LiP by VA in the present medium was relatively unsubstantial, even at high H₂O₂ concentrations. Analysis of data from a series of experiments showed that the enhancement of the PR oxidation caused by VA was mainly due to the indirect oxidation of PR by VA^+∙ from the LiP catalyzed oxidation of VA. It was also found that at the same protector concentration (40 μM), VA (the physiological substrate of LiP) was less effective than PR (a phenolic compound) in protecting LiP from the H₂O₂ derived inactivation. This novel phenomenon deserves further study.      

Intermolecular Complexes of Active Oxygen Forms with Amino Acids. A Theoretical Study

Ab initio quantum-chemical calculations were used to examine the thermodynamic aspects of binding of molecular oxygen and the radical anion O₂ ^·- with certain amino acids. It was shown that amino acids form no stable systems with molecular oxygen but form thermodynamically stable complexes with the superoxide radical anion.     

Spectrophotometric investigation of the kinetics of the oxidation of model compounds and lignin by a peroxidase-H2O2 complex

It has been established that in relation to the increase in the maximum initial rate of oxidation of model compounds and of lignin by a peroxidase-H₂O₂ complex, the substances studied form the following sequence: guaiacol,α-guaiacylpropanol, ferulic acid,α-guaiacylpropanone, andα-lignin. On the basis of the results of the investigation it is suggested that the oxidation of lignin is carried out by a peroxidase-O₂ complex. With a rise in the concentration of hydrogen peroxide the oxidation of model compounds is inhibited.     

Visible-light promoted photoprocesses on aqueous gallic acid in the presence of riboflavin. Kinetics and mechanism

Within the frame of possible precursory photoreactions in the generation of humic substances, the visible-light promoted interaction between riboflavin (Rf), a native photosensitizer in aqueous systems, and gallic acid (GA), a polyphenol naturally formed after lignin degradation, was investigated. A systematic kinetic and mechanistic study was conducted under aerobic conditions in aqueous media, through visible-light continuous photolysis, polarographic detection of oxygen uptake, stationary and time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, time resolved near-IR phosphorescence detection and laser flash photolysis techniques. GA is degraded relatively fast in pH 7 aqueous solutions, where singlet molecular oxygen (O₂(¹Δ_g)), superoxide radical anion (O₂^?) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) – all three species photogenerated from triplet excited Rf – participate in the photoprocess. The general conclusion is that in natural waters GA can undergo spontaneous phototodegradation under environmental conditions. Radical species generated in the presence of Rf can participate in condensation or polymerization reactions promoting the natural synthesis of humic products.     

Interference of non-specific peroxidases in the fluorescence detection of superoxide radical by hydroethidine oxidation: a new assay for H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The present study shows that hydroethidine (HE), used for in-vivo qualitative fluorescent detection of superoxide anion, can be also oxidized by H₂O₂ via non-specific peroxidase (horseradish peroxidase and myeloperoxidase) catalysis, forming fluorescent oxidation products. These products give broad excitation/emission peaks (490–495/580–600 nm) near the excitation/emission peaks (475/580 nm) of the HE-superoxide oxidation product, and this may pose serious interference problems to the fluorescent detection of the superoxide radical. The study suggests cautionary use of the HE-superoxide anion assay mainly for detection of reactive oxygen species. A byproduct of this study was the development of a simple and sensitive HE-horseradish peroxidase assay for the in-vitro quantification of H₂O₂ in biological tissues with a sensitivity of 1 mol L^–1.     

Photosensitized Oxidation of Tetrabromobisphenol A by Humic Acid in Aqueous Solution†

The brominated flame retardant 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) may accumulate in the environment, including surface waters, and degrade there to potentially toxic products. We have previously shown that singlet oxygen (¹O₂), produced by irradiation of rose bengal with visible light, oxidizes Triton X‐100‐solubilized TBBPA to yield the 2,6‐dibromo‐p‐benzosemiquinone anion radical while consuming oxygen (Environ. Sci. Technol. 42 , 166, 2008). Here, we report that a similar ¹ O ₂ ‐induced oxidation can be initiated in aqueous solutions by the irradiation of TBBPA dissolved in a humic acid (HA) solution. HA is a known weak ¹ O ₂ photosensitizer and we indeed detected the infrared ¹ O ₂ phosphorescence from HA preparations in D ₂ O. When an aqueous preparation of HA was irradiated (λ > 400 nm) in the presence of TBBPA, oxygen was consumed, and the 2,6‐dibromo‐ p ‐benzosemiquinone anion radical was generated and detected using electron paramagnetic resonance. Radical formation and oxygen consumption were inhibited by sodium azide, a singlet oxygen quencher. Our results suggest that solar radiation, in the presence of HA, may play an important role in the photodegradation of TBBPA in the aquatic environment.     

用于木质素催化湿式氧化反应的纳米空心球钙钛矿催化剂

利用尿素辅助溶剂热法合成了一系列LaFe_xMn_1-xO₃和La_0.9Sr_0.1MnO₃纳米空心球材料,并采用X射线衍射、透射电子显微镜和物理吸附等方法对其晶相、形貌和比表面积进行了表征. 在木质素的催化湿式氧化反应(CWAO)中,该催化剂表现出比传统的柠檬酸溶胶-凝胶法制备的钙钛矿材料更高的催化活性. 这主要是由于空心球结构所致. 当T=120℃,p(O₂)=0.2MPa时,CWAO反应1h后木质素转化率超过80%. 反应后组分离子溶出量很低,表明由于钙钛矿相结构的存在,催化剂在该反应条件下非常稳定.     

Type I Photosensitized Oxidation of Methionine†

Methionine (Met) is an essential sulfur‐containing amino acid, sensitive to oxidation. The oxidation of Met can occur by numerous pathways, including enzymatic modifications and oxidative stress, being able to cause relevant alterations in protein functionality. Under UV radiation, Met may be oxidized by direct absorption (below 250 nm) or by photosensitized reactions. Herein, kinetics of the reaction and identification of products during photosensitized oxidation were analyzed to elucidate the mechanism for the degradation of Met under UV‐A irradiation using pterins, pterin (Ptr) and 6‐methylpterin (Mep), as sensitizers. The process begins with an electron transfer from Met to the triplet‐excited state of the photosensitizer (Ptr or Mep), to yield the corresponding pair of radicals, Met radical cation (Met^?+) and the radical anion of the sensitizer (Sens^??). In air‐equilibrated solutions, Met^?+ incorporates one or two atoms of oxygen to yield methionine sulfoxide (MetO) and methionine sulfone (MetO₂), whereas Sens^?? reacts with O₂ to recover the photosensitizer and generate superoxide anion (O₂^??). In anaerobic conditions, further free‐radical reactions lead to the formation of the corresponding dihydropterin derivatives (H₂Ptr or H₂Mep).     

Production of oxychemicals from precipitated hardwood lignin

Lignin is a major byproduct in the biomass-to-ethanol process. The lignin produced from acid treatment of biomass has characteristics suitable for further conversion to organic chemicals. It is free of contaminants and has a relatively low molecular weight. In this study, catalytic oxidative conversion of the acid-soluble lignin precipitated from acid hydrolysates of hardwood was investigated. The process is based on aqueous alkaline oxidation of lignin with dissolved O₂ in the presence of Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ catalysts at moderate reaction temperatures (160–180°C). Aromatic aldehydes, ketones, and organic acids are found to be the primary products identifiable on extraction with ether. The combined weight yield of the total ether extractable products is about 20–25% of the initial lignin. The yield of the aldehydes (vanillin + syringaldehyde) is in the vicinity of 15% with an additional 3 to 4% of aromatic ketones. The yields of aldehydes plus ketones observed in this work far exceeded those obtainable from the conventional alkaline air oxidation of spent sulfite liquors. This article also provides comprehensive batch reaction data on conversion and product distribution.     

Formation of peroxide compounds on the oxidation of lignin by oxygen in an organic solvent

The results are given of a determination of the steady-state concentrations of peroxide compounds on the oxidation of lignin by oxygen in dioxane. An iodometric method of determining peroxides was used, with spectrophotometric control of the amount of iodine formed. It was established that the achievable steady-state concentration of peroxide compounds on the oxidation of lignin is 0.28–0.44 wt. % of O_act (oxygen pressure 1 atm, temperature 50–80°C). With a rise in the temperature, the steady-state concentration of peroxide compounds decreased. The addition of water (30 vol. %) to the organic solvent led to an increase in the rate of accumulation of peroxide compounds. It has been shown that the presence of alkaline and acidic catalysts exerts no appreciable influence on the achievable steady-state concentration and the rate of accumulation of peroxide compounds during the oxidation of lignin.Bratsk Industrial Institute. All-Union Scientific Production Combine of the Pulp and Paper Industry, Leningrad. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Nos. 3,4, pp. 413–417, May–August, 1992.     

Type I and Type II Photosensitized Oxidation Reactions: Guidelines and Mechanistic Pathways

Here, 10 guidelines are presented for a standardized definition of type I and type II photosensitized oxidation reactions. Because of varied notions of reactions mediated by photosensitizers, a checklist of recommendations is provided for their definitions. Type I and type II photoreactions are oxygen‐dependent and involve unstable species such as the initial formation of radical cation or neutral radicals from the substrates and/or singlet oxygen (¹O₂ ¹?_g) by energy transfer to molecular oxygen. In addition, superoxide anion radical () can be generated by a charge‐transfer reaction involving O₂ or more likely indirectly as the result of O₂‐mediated oxidation of the radical anion of type I photosensitizers. In subsequent reactions, may add and/or reduce a few highly oxidizing radicals that arise from the deprotonation of the radical cations of key biological targets. can also undergo dismutation into H₂O₂, the precursor of the highly reactive hydroxyl radical () that may induce delayed oxidation reactions in cells. In the second part, several examples of type I and type II photosensitized oxidation reactions are provided to illustrate the complexity and the diversity of the degradation pathways of mostly relevant biomolecules upon one‐electron oxidation and singlet oxygen reactions.     

A mechanistic investigation of (Me3Si)3SiH oxidation

The interaction of (Me₃Si)₃SiH with O₂ is known to afford (Me₃SiO)₂Si(H)SiMe₃ in which the two oxygen atoms arise from the same oxygen molecule. In order to investigate the mechanism of this unusual reaction, the oxidation rates were measured in the temperature range 30-70 °C by following oxygen uptake in the presence and absence of hydroquinone as inhibitor. The rate constant for the spontaneous reaction of (Me₃Si)₃SiH with O₂ was determined at 70 °C to be ∼3.5 × 10⁻⁵ M⁻¹ s⁻¹. A sequence of the propagation steps is proposed by combining the previous and present experimental findings with some theoretical results obtained at the semiempirical level. These calculations showed that the silylperoxyl radical (Me₃Si)₃SiOO undergoes three consecutive unimolecular steps to give (Me₃SiO)₂Si()SiMe₃. Evidence has been obtained that the rate determining step is the rearrangement of silylperoxyl radical to a dioxirand-like pentacoordinated silyl radical. Our findings are of considerable importance for the understanding of the oxidation of hydrogen-terminated silicon surfaces.     

One-step fabrication of mesoporous sulfur-doped carbon nitride for highly selective photocatalytic transformation of native lignin to monophenolic compounds

Photocatalytic selective transform native lignin into valuable chemicals is an attractive but challenging task. Herein, we report a mesoporous sulfur-doped carbon nitride (MSCN-0.5) which is prepared by a facile one-step thermal condensation strategy. It is highly active and selective for the cleavage Cα?C_β bond in β?O?4 lignin model compound under visible light radiation at room temperature, achieving 99% substrate conversion and 98% C_α?C_β bond cleavage selectivity. Mechanistic studies revealed that the C_β?H bond of lignin model compounds activated by holes and generate key C_β radical intermediates, further induced the C_α?C_β bond cleavage by superoxide anion radicals (^?O₂^?) to produce aromatic oxygenates. Waste Camellia oleifera shell (WCOS) was taken as a representative to further understand the reaction mechanisms on native lignin. 33.2 mg of monophenolic compounds (Vanillin accounted for 22% and Syringaldehyde for 34%) can be obtained by each gram of WCOS lignin, which is 2.5 times as that of the pristine carbon nitride. The present work offers useful guidance for designing metal-free heterogeneous photocatalysts for C_α?C_β bond cleavage to harvest monophenolic compounds.     

Rate constants for one-electron oxidation by methylperoxyl radicals in aqueous solutions

Rate constants for one-electron oxidation by the methylperoxyl radicals (CH₃O₂, HOCH₂O₂, ^?O₂CCH₂O₂, and CCI₃O₂) in aqueous solutions have been measured by pulse radiolysis and found to be in the range of 3 × 10⁵ to 6 × 10⁸ M^?1 s^?1 for compounds with redox potentials between 0.6 and 0.1 V. Substitution on the methylperoxyl radical with OH or CO₂^? has only a minor effect on the rate of oxidation but substitution with three chlorines increases the rate constants by two orders of magnitude. The redox potential of the CH₃O₂ radical is estimated to be 0.6–0.7 V.