Oxidation phenylcoumaran models

For lignin substructures containing a carbon substituent in the aromatic C-5 position, or for stilbenes originating from phenylcoumaran structures, the oxidative degradation leads to the formation of isohemipinic acid methyl ester (4) (Fig. 6.3.2, R=CH3). However, Gellerstedt and co-workers have shown that model compounds of the biphenyl type also give rise to isohemipinic acid in addition to the expected bis-vanillic acid structure (7). The reason seems to be incomplete alkylation (pH 11, 24 h) with the result that the substrate is alkylated at only one of the available positions. To achieve a more complete alkylation, it is necessary to increase the pH to 13 or alternatively, to extend the alkylation time to 84 h. In both cases, the yield of the bis-vanillic acid structure is substantially increased as shown in Table 6.3.1 nevertheless, the concomitant formation of isohemipinic acid cannot be completely avoided. 

Lee and Sumimoto [47] suggested that peroxide-bleached mechanical pulps yellow readily because the hydroquinones they contain are leucochromophores, which may be subsequently oxidized further to colored compounds. In particular they showed that peroxide treatment of phenolic stilbene (XIII), which was formed from phenylcoumaran (XII) by mechanochemical action, gave rise to a labile hyd-roquinone that was easily oxidized by air to an intensely colored stilbenequinone (XIV) (Figure 12.4). It should be noted that these conclusions were based on experiments with model compounds. Conversely, Zhu et al. [48] found that mechanochemical action had no significant effect on the photosensitivity of mechanical pulps. 

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