Thermal degradation of chitin and cellulose

Abstract

Dry chitin was thermally degraded under nitrogen. The main volatile degradation product was acetamide. Chitin and cellulose were depolymerized by thermal degradation in tetraethyleneglycol dimethylether as a high boiling and inert solvent to give water-soluble oligomers with a terminal anhydrosugar unit. In supercritical acetone, cellulose could be degraded to the extent of 98% and chitin to the extent of 85%. Monomeric anhydrosugars were formed with good yields and could be identified and isolated from the degradation syrups.