Base‐free Air Oxidation of Chitin‐derived Glucosamine to Glucosaminic Acid by Zinc Oxide‐supported Gold Nanoparticles

Abstract

In this study, glucosaminic acid (GlcNA) was produced with the highest yield of ∼85% from chitin biomass‐derived glucosamine (GlcN) at 35 °C under atmospheric air in water, by using zinc oxide‐supported gold nanoparticles (Au/ZnO). The Au/ZnO catalyst prepared by the deposition‐precipitation (DP) method displayed remarkably superior catalytic performance to that prepared by the deposition‐reduction (DR) method, which led to >2‐fold enhancement in product yield. A lower apparent activation energy (Ea) was observed over the Au/ZnO (DP) for GlcNA formation compared with the Au/ZnO (DR) catalyst. Based on control tests and structural characterizations, the average particle size of Au nanoparticles (NPs) and the surface oxygen vacancy (OV) sites were the crucial factors on the catalytic activity. The work puts forward a green, mild and efficient approach to synthesize valuable amino acid from ocean‐based chitin biomass resources with air as the oxidant, adding on new possibilities of chitin biorefinery.

Catalytic conversion of chitin-based biomass to nitrogen-containing chemicals

“…fabricated the Au/ZnO catalyst (Au loading 1 wt %) to oxidize D-glucosamine into D-glucosaminic acid at 35°C under atmospheric air in base-free water. 113 The catalyst preparation method was influential on the catalytic activity to affect the Au structure. By using the deposition-precipitation (DP) method rather than the deposition-reduction (DR) method, more than 2-fold increase in product yield could be realized possibly due to a declined apparent activation energy of the Au/ZnO-DP.…”

Catalytic Conversion of Chitin Biomass to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural in Lithium Bromide Molten Salt Hydrates

“…As the second most abundant biomass resource after cellulose, chitin has a relatively homogeneous structure and contains renewable carbon and nitrogen elements, which renders it an ideal platform resource for the sustainable production of nitrogen-containing and oxygen-containing organic chemicals. Various high-value chemicals such as amino acids, − organic acids, − furans, − sugars, − and more have been successfully produced through the conversion of chitin since the proposal of shell biorefinery. , …”