Water-soluble biomass-derived

Chan, M. N., Choi, M. Y., Ng, N. L., and Chan, C. K. (2005). Hygroscopicity of water-soluble organic compounds in atmospheric aerosols Amino acids and biomass burning derived organic species. Environ. Sci. Technol. 39,1555-1562. 

Plant biomass, including algae, is a very important source of renewable polysaccharides, some of which have original properties compared with those of synthetic polymers, as shown in Table 24.1 [ 1-3]. Cellulose and starch are discussed respectively in Chapters 16 and 15. The corresponding animal-derived chitin [4] is covered in Chapter 25. The microbial water soluble polysaccharides like hyaluronan, xanthan and succinoglycan [1, 2, 5] are dealt with in Chapter 13. This chapter focuses on the polyelectrolytes based on polysaccharides from plant and algae. 

Biphasic hydrogenation of the biomass-derived platform molecule levulinic add (LA) has been shown to afford y-valerolactone (GVL). Using molecular hydrogen, water-soluble ruthenium catalyst, generated in situ from RuCl, BHjO and w-TPPTS in a dichloromethane/water biphasic mixture, allows the synthesis of GVL in high yield under relatively harsh conditions (1 mol% catalyst, 45 bar H2, 90°C, 80min) (Scheme 6.9). 

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