Cellulose hydrolysis using zinc chloride as a solvent and catalyst

Cellulose gel with < 10% of crystallinity was prepared by treatment of microcrystalline cellulose, Avicel, with zinc chloride solution at a ratio of zinc chloride to cellulose from 1.5 to 18 (w/w). The presence of zinc ions in the cellulose gels enhanced the rate of hydrolysis and glucose yield. The evidence obtained from X-ray diffraction, iodine absorption experiments; and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectra analysis suggested the presence of zinc-cellulose complex after Avicel was treated with zinc chloride. Zinc-cellulose complex was more susceptible to hydrolysis than amorphous cellulose. Under the experimental condition, cellulose gels with zinc ions were hyrolyzed to glucose with 95% theoretical yield and a concentration of 14% (w/v) by cellulases within 20 h. The same gel was hydrolyzed by acid to glucose with 91.5% yield and a concentration of 13.4% (w/v).     

Xylan hydrolysis in zinc chloride solution

Xylan is the major component of hemicellulose, which consists of up to one-third of the lignocellulosic biomass. When the zinc chloride solution was used as a pretreatment agent to facilitate cellulose hydrolysis, hemicellulose was hydrolyzed during the pretreatment stage. In this study, xylan was used as a model to study the hydrolysis of hemicellulose in zinc chloride solution. The degradation of xylose that is released from xylan was reduced by the formation of zinc-xylose complex. The xylose yield was >90% (w/w) at 70°C. The yield and rate of hydrolysis were a function of temperature and the concentration of zinc chloride. The ratio of zinc chloride can be decreased from 9 to 1.3 (w/w). At this ratio, 76% of xylose yield was obtained. When wheat straw was pretreated with a concentrated zinc chloride solution, the hemicellulose hydrolysate contained only xylose and trace amounts of arabinose and oligosaccharides. With this approach, the hemicellulose hydrolysate can be separated from cellulose residue, which would be hydrolyzed subsequently to glucose by acid or enzymes to produce glucose. This production scheme provided a method to produce glucose and xylose in different streams, which can be fermented in separated fermenters.     

Preparation of Titania from Tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium via Hydrolysis

The conversion of tetrakis(diethylamino)titanium (Ti(NEt₂)₄) into titania via either a combination of hydrolysis (Ti(NEt₂)₄ : THF : H₂O = 1 : 10 : x, x = 2, 4, 10) at ambient conditions and calcination (method A) or hydrolysis in a water-tetrahydrofuran (THF) mixture (Ti(NEt₂)₄ : THF : H₂O = 1 : 10 : 100) at reflux (method B) was investigated. Titanium tertiary butoxide (Ti(O ^t Bu)₄) was also used as a substitute for Ti(NEt₂)₄. The hydrolysis via method A resulted in the formation of amorphous solids containing organics. Thermal analyses showed that the hydrolysis products showed mass losses up to 500°C probably due to the presence of diethylamine (Et₂NH) formed via the hydrolysis of Ti(NEt₂)₄ in the hydrolysis products, while a mass loss of the hydrolysis product from Ti(O ^t Bu)₄ was completed up to about 200°C. After calcination at 600°C, anatase or a mixture of anatase and rutile was obtained. The crystallization behavior of the hydrolysis products from Ti(NEt₂)₄ was different from that of the hydrolysis product from Ti(O ^t Bu)₄. The hydrolysis via method B gave only an amorphous material from Ti(NEt₂)₄, while a crystalline titania (anatase and brookite) formed from Ti(O ^t Bu)₄.     

Hydrolysis of 7,7-Substituted Derivatives of 3-tert-Butyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-thiazolo-[3,2-a][1,3,5]triazin-6(7H)-one

Alkaline hydrolysis of 3-tert-butyl-7,7-bis(hydroxymethyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-thiazolo[3,2-a][1,3,5]-triazin-6(7H)-one can occur in three directions: with cleavage of the tetrahydrotriazine ring, with cleavage of the thiazolidine ring, and also with opening of both rings. Depending on the process conditions, either the hydrolysis product corresponding to the first direction or the hydrolytic decomposition products corresponding to the second and third directions can be obtained in preparative quantities. Hydrolysis of 3,3′-di-tert-butyl-3′,4′-dihydro-2′ H-spiro[(perhydro-1,3-oxazine)-5,7′-thiazolo[3,2-a][1,3,5]triazin]-6′-one in (NH₄)₂CO₃ solution occurs in two steps: in the first step, cleavage of the tetrahydrotriazine ring occurs; and in the second step, opening of the perhydrooxazine ring occurs. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 7, pp. 1089–1097, July, 2005.     

Concanavalin a immobilized affinity adsorbents for reversible use in yeast invertase adsorption

Concanavalin A (Con A) immobilized poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) beads were investigated for specific adsorption of yeast invertase from aqueous solutions. PHEMA beads were prepared by a suspension polymerization technique with an average size of 150-200 microm, and activated by epichlorohydrin. Con A was then immobilized by covalent binding onto these beads. The maximum Con A immobilization was found to be 10 mg/g. The invertase-loading capability of the PHEMA/Con A beads was 107 mg/g. The maximum invertase adsorption capacity on the PHEMA/Con A adsorbents was observed at pH 5.0. The values of the Michaelis constant K(m) of invertase were significantly larger upon adsorption, indicating decreased affinity by the enzyme for its substrate, whereas V(max) was smaller for the adsorbed invertase. Adsorption improved the pH stability of the enzyme as well as its temperature stability. Thermal stability was found to increase with adsorption. The adsorbed enzyme activity was found to be quite stable in repeated experiments. Storage stability of adsorbed invertase.     

4-hydroxy-2-quinolones. 96. Synthesis and properties of 4-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid

Alkaline hydrolysis of the ethyl ester of 4-(cyanoethoxycarbonylmethyl)-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid is accompanied by decarboxylation with loss of two molecules of CO₂ and leads to 4-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 887–893, June, 2006.     

On the Existence and Hydrolytic Stability of Titanosiloxane Bonds in the System: Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane-Water-Titaniumtetraethoxide

Heterometal materials based on glycidoxypropyltrialkoxysilane and titaniumalkoxide are used for optical applications and require a high homogeneity on the molecular level. The presence of heterometal titanosiloxanes, their distribution and hydrolytic stability should influence the homogeneity of these materials. 29Si and 17O NMR spectroscopy has been used to investigate sols with molar ratios Si : Ti = 1 and H2O : OR (H) = 0.5 – 2.0 and their gels after heat treatment at 130°C. The presence of Si—O—Ti bonds in sols with a low water content (H < 0.2) and in the corresponding gels was identified by the high-field shift of the 29Si NMR signals of T1 and T2 units of up to 2–3 ppm compared to corresponding signals of homo-condensed Si—O—Si bonds. The existence of Si—O—Ti bonds in the sols is supported by 17O NMR spectra which show a characteristic signal around 340 ppm. A cleavage of the Si—O—Ti bonds occurs with increasing water/OR ratio in the sols. The cleavage of the heterometal bonds and the building up of homo-condensed species leads to a separation into areas with predominantly Ti—O—Ti and Si—O—Si bonds resulting in a decreased molecular homogeneity of the materials.     

Synthesis of thiopheno-quinizarine derivatives

4,11-Dihydroxyanthra[2,3-b]thiophene-5,10-dione (thiophenoquinizarine) and its 3-methyl derivative were obtained by the cyclization of quinizarin-2-yl derivatives of mercaptoacetaldehyde or mercaptoacetone in acid medium. 4,11-Dimethoxy-and 4,11-dibutoxyanthra[2,3-b]thiophene-5,10-dione were synthesized by the alkylation of the hydroxyl group in the synthesized anthrathiophenes with dimethylformamide dimethylacetal or butyl iodide respectively. Radical bromination of 4,11-dimethoxy-3-methylanthra[2,3-b]thiophene-5,10-dione, depending on the amount of N-bromo-succinimide taken, leads to the formation of 3-bromomethyl-or 3-dibromomethyl-4,11-dimethoxy-anthra[2,3-b]thiophene-5,10-diones. The action of sodium acetate on the obtained bromo derivatives with subsequent hydrolysis of the intermediate acetates led to the synthesis of 3-hydroxymethyl-or 3-formyl-4,11-dimethoxy-anthra[2,3-b]thiophene-5,10-diones. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 10, pp. 1478–1485, October, 2007.     

Efficient regio- and stereoselective ring opening of epoxides with alcohols, acetic acid and water catalyzed by ammonium decatungstocerate(IV)

Epoxides can be cleaved in a regio- and stereoselective manner under neutral conditions with alcohols and acetic acid in the presence of catalytic amounts of decatungstocerate(IV) ion, ([CeW₁₀O₃₆]⁸⁻), affording the corresponding β-alkoxy and β-acetoxy alcohols in high yields. In water, ring opening of epoxides occurs with this catalyst to produce the corresponding diols in good yields.     

Novel reaction systems for the synthesis of O-glucosides by enzymatic reverse hydrolysis

Our studies are presented to replace alcohols as solvents in reverse hydrolytic reactions catalyzed by immobilized β-glucosidase to synthesize O-substituted β-d-glucopyranosides in preparative-scale. We found that 1,2-diacetoxyethane is a suitable solvent and O-alkyl or aryl β-d-glucosides were synthesized in moderate yields (after isolation 12-19%). In these reactions proportion of glucose and glucosyl acceptor hydroxy compounds was 1:20. We suggest that 1,2-diacetoxyethane can be useful not only for alcohols but for other glucosyl donor compounds unsuitable for the role of solvent (e.g., phenols) in the synthesis of O-β-d-glucosides by reverse hydrolysis.