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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Facile Preparation of (2Z,4E)-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate
Published on: June 21, 2017
One-step conversion of cellobiose to C6-alcohols using a ruthenium nanocluster catalyst
Ning Yan1, Chen Zhao, Chen Luo
1PKU Green Chemistry Center, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Abstract:
The one-step conversion of cellulose to C6-alcohols via green and energy efficient approaches has, as far as we are aware, not been reported. Such a process presents a considerable challenge, the two key problems being (1) finding a suitable solvent that dissolves the cellulose, and (2) the development of advanced catalytic chemistry for selective cleavage of the C-O-C bonds (glycosidic bonds) connecting glucose residues. The dissolution of cellulose has been recently realized by using ionic liquids as green solvents; there is still no efficient method, such as selective hydrogenation, for the precise C-O-C cleavage under mild conditions, however. Cellobiose is a glucose dimer connected by a glycosidic bond and represents the simplest model molecule for cellulose. We disclose in this communication that the one-step conversion of cellobiose to C6-alcohols can be realized by selectively breaking the C-O-C bonds via selective hydrogenation using a water-soluble ruthenium nanocluster catalyst under 40 bar H2 pressure.
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