Decarboxylation of p-Coumaric Acid during Pyrolysis on the Nanoceria Surface

Nataliia Nastasiienko,Borys Palianytsia,Tetiana Cherniavska,Mykola Kartel,Tetiana Kulik,Mats Larsson

doi:10.3390/colloids5040048

Abstract

Temperature-programmed desorption mass spectrometry (TPD MS) was used to study the pyrolysis of p-coumaric acid (pCmA) on the nanoceria surface. The interaction of pCmA with the CeO2 surface was investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy. The obtained data indicated the formation on the nanoceria surface of bidentate carboxylate complexes with chelate (Δν = 62 cm−1) and bridge structure (Δν = 146 cm−1). The thermal decomposition of pCmA over nanoceria occurred in several stages, mainly by decarboxylation. The main decomposition product is 4-vinylphenol (m/z 120). The obtained data can be useful for studying the mechanisms of catalytic thermal transformations of lignin-containing raw materials using catalysts containing cerium oxide and the development of effective technologies for the isolation of pCmA from lignin.

Highlights

Introduction pCoumaric acid belongs to the class of hydroxycinnamic acids and is a biologically active compound of natural origin [1,2]
Free and bound p-coumaric acid (pCmA) is widely distributed in fruits, vegetables, and cereals [2]. pCmA is found in large quantities in lignin [3,4], ubiquitous in herbal lignin [4]. pCmA residues are attached to the main lignin macromolecule via ether bonds [5,6,7,8]
We studied pCmA complexes on the CeO2 surface and their thermal transformations using Temperature-programmed desorption mass spectrometry (TPD MS), FT-IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis

Summary

Introduction

Coumaric acid belongs to the class of hydroxycinnamic acids and is a biologically active compound of natural origin [1,2]. Together with other components of lignocellulose (hemicellulose, cellulose), it is considered a potentially important source of valuable chemicals (biofuels, polymers, etc.). It can serve as a source of a wide range of aromatic compounds [10]. The presence of pCmA and other hydroxycinnamates in the plant biomass encourages the search for new cost-effective technologies to extract this acid from lignin and the selection of new herbaceous species enriched with this biologically active compound [4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion