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Catalytic Depolymerization of Chitin to N-Acetylated Monomers

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A Study on Catalytic Conversion of Non-Food Biomass into Chemicals

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Abstract

Chitin, the most abundant nitrogen-containing biopolymer, includes both glycosidic bonds and N-acetyl groups in its structure and is an attractive source of useful monomers such as N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and 1-O-methyl-N-acetylglucosamine (MeGlcNAc). In order to synthesize the N-acetylated monomers in high yields, selective hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in chitin without deacetylation is absolutely necessary. In this chapter, new two-step catalytic depolymerization of chitin to the N-acetylated monomers has been developed: (i) mechanical force-assisted hydrolysis of chitin to water-soluble oligomers and (ii) thermocatalytic solvolysis, hydrolysis, and methanolysis in this study, of the oligomers to the N-acetylated monomers. In both steps, deacetylation does not happen, resulting in good yields of GlcNAc (53 %) and MeGlcNAc (70 %).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

    Mizuho Yabushita

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  1. Mizuho Yabushita
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Correspondence to Mizuho Yabushita .

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Yabushita, M. (2016). Catalytic Depolymerization of Chitin to N-Acetylated Monomers. In: A Study on Catalytic Conversion of Non-Food Biomass into Chemicals. Springer Theses. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0332-5_4

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