Clean production of glucose from polysaccharides using a micellar heteropolyacid as a heterogeneous catalyst

Hydrolysis of polysaccharides into glucose was performed over a micellar heteropolyacid (HPA) catalyst [C16H33N(CH3)3]H2PW12O40 (abbreviated as C16H2PW). This micellar heterogeneous catalyst exhibited high selectivity and activity in the hydrolysis of polysaccharides, such as starch and cellulose. Hydrolysis velocities of starch and cellulose were 0.019 and 0.006 g/h at 120 °C and 170 °C, respectively. The results demonstrated that C16H2PW is an effective catalyst for the production of glucose and can be reused.

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► Assembly of HPAs into a micellar system with Brønsted acidity, confirming the conversion of cellulose into sugars.
► Overcoming the diffusion in this solid–solid reaction and promoting the reaction rate by HPA micellar catalyst.
► Easy handling of this catalyst.