SYNTHESIS OF R-GLUCOSIDES, SUGAR ALCOHOLS, REDUCED SUGAR ALCOHOLS, AND FURAN DERIVATIVES OF REDUCED SUGAR ALCOHOLS

摘要

Disclosed herein are methods for synthesizing 1,2,5,6-hexanetetrol (HTO), 1,6 hexanediol (HDO) and other reduced polyols from C5 and C6 sugar alcohols or R glycosides. The methods include contacting the sugar alcohol or R-glycoside with a copper catalyst, most desirably a Raney copper catalyst with hydrogen for a time, temperature and pressure sufficient to form reduced polyols having 2 to 3 fewer hydoxy groups than the starting material. When the starting compound is a C6 sugar alcohol such as sorbitol or R-glycoside of a C6 sugar such as methyl glucoside, the predominant product is HTO. The same catalyst can be used to further reduce the HTO to HDO.

主权项

1. A method of synthesizing R-glycosides comprising:
heating an acetyl cellulose pulp in the presence of an alcohol of the formula ROH, where R is a C1-C4 alkyl group, and an acid catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid and a sulfonic acid, for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form an R-glycoside fraction from the acetyl cellulose pulp.