Low Catalyst Loadings for the Production of Carboxylic Acids from Polysaccharides and Hydrogen Peroxide

The oxidation of starch, xylans, potato flesh and wheat flour by H 2 O 2 , in the presence of MSO 4 (M=Cu, Fe) as catalyst, led to depolymerization, and formation of solutions containing polyhydroxycarboxylic acids. Some of these oxidized compounds facilitate the process, leading to efficient transformations even with very low amounts of catalyst.