Non-catalytic conversion of chitin into chromogen I in high-temperature water

Abstract The non-catalytic conversion of chitin into N -acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) derivatives such as 2-acetamido-2,3-dideoxy-D-erythro-hex-2-enofuranose (Chromogen I) was investigated in high-temperature water at 290–390 °C and 25 MPa with a reaction time of 0–180 min. High-temperature water treatment is a promising method for chitin conversion as it does not require the use of any additional organic solvents or ionic liquids. A semi-batch reactor was developed to control the reaction temperature and time. It was found that the chitin powder could be converted into a water-soluble fraction in ~90% yield, with Chromogen I being obtained in a maximum yield of 2.6%. Furthermore, a kinetic model was developed to estimate the reaction rate for the conversion of the chitin powder to the water-soluble fraction.