Yield of 1,6-anhydro-3,4-dideoxy-β- d-glycero-hex-3-enopyranos-2-ulose (levoglucosenone) on the acid-catalyzed pyrolysis of cellulose and 1,6-anhydro-β- d-glucopyranose (levoglucosan)

Abstract

Although 1,6-anhydro-3,4-dideoxy-,β- d-glycero-hex-3-enopyranos-2-ulose (2) is produced by the acid-catalyzed pyrolysis of both cellulose and 1,6-anhydro-β- d-glucopyranose (1), data presented here show that the principal mechanism of its formation in the pyrolysis of cellulose is not via 1. Furthermore, the data provide evidence that 1 itself is not a primary product of cellulose pyrolysis, so that the principal mechanism of its formation must involve a precursor as yet unidentified.