Characterisation of oligomers and sugar ring-cleavage products in the pyrolysate of cellulose

The condensate from Curie-point pyrolysis of cellulose has been examined as the permethylated derivative and as the borodeuteride-reduced permethylated derivative. The main complete sugar peaks were identified as levoglucosan and cellobiosan. Fragments were also identified which were derived from reverse aldolisation cleavage of a sugar ring to leave acetaldehyde fragments on the reducing and non-reducing ends of intact sugar units. No peaks of significant intensity could be identified as anhydrosugar units with attached ring cleavage fragments.