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Title: Hydrogen fluoride saccharification of wood: lignin fluoride content, isolation of alpha-delta-glucopyranosylfluoride and posthydrolysis of reversion products

Journal Article · · Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States)

Wood chips from bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata Michx.) were saccharified by reaction with liquid hydrogen fluoride either anhydrous or containing up to 10% v/v water. The reaction products were separated into a solid lignin fraction and a water-soluble saccharide fraction. The fluoride content of the lignin (determined after alkaline fusion) was initially about 1 mg/g wood, but was lowered to 0.1 mg/g wood by grinding and washing. Thus little or no chemical binding of fluoride to lignin occurred during hydrogen fluoride (HF) solvolysis. Analysis of the water-soluble fraction by gel filtration on Biogel P2 columns showed a range of low-molecular-weight oligosaccharides and only 10-20% sugar monomers. Thus considerable reversion occurred during HF evacuation. Posthydrolysis conditions were optimized for these reversion products by varying temperature and acid concentration. Optimal conditions at 1 h were 140 degrees C with 100mN sulfuric acid or 225 mN hydrofluoric acid resulting in monomer yields of more than 90% for 0.5% sugar solutions and more than 80% for 10% sugar solutions. After reaction of pure cellulose (filter paper) with hydrogen fluoride in the absence of water, and terminating the reaction with calcium carbonate, the reaction intermediate alpha-D-glucopyranosylfluoride was isolated with a maximal yield of 0.2 g/g paper. Upon purification via paper chromatography glucosylfluoride was identified by its specific rotation and also by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of its tetra-O-trimethylsilyl derivative. (Refs. 32).

Research Organization:
Plant Research Lab, Michigan State Univ, East Lansing, MI 48824
OSTI ID:
6742440
Journal Information:
Biotechnol. Bioeng.; (United States), Vol. 24:4
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English