Aromatic hydrocarbons ring cleavage products

Aromatic and heterocyclic cleavage involves a hydrocarbon being separated from an oxygen atom, which functions to link it to another moiety of the molecule this process may lead to a decrease in the initial toxicity. The metabolic effects of microorganisms differ with the molecular configuration of the product, which affect aromatic or heterocyclic ring cleavage differently. 

For complete degradation of an aromatic hydrocarbon to occur, it is necessary that the products of ring oxidation and cleavage can be further degraded to molecules that enter anabolic and energy-producing reactions. 

Finally vanadia catalysts are used extensively for oxidations of aromatic hydrocarbons. With bei zene, the mechanism for ring breakage is not well defined, and the desorption of maleic anhydride itself appears to be ratecontrolling. For the oxidation of o-xylene, the use of supported vanadia-titania catalysts limits ring cleavage. A well-defined major product sequence, o-xyltne o-tolualdehyde o-toluic acid phthalide phthalic anhydride... 

---