Pyrolysis of cellulose in aromatic solvents: Reactivity, product yield, and char morphology

Aromatic solvents are known to stabilize levoglucosan (1,6-anhydro-β-d-glucopyranose), the major pyrolysis intermediate of cellulose, against thermal degradation including char formation. In this article, pyrolysis of cellulose, a crystalline component of biomass, was investigated in the aromatic solvents 1,3-diphenoxybenzene, diphenyl sulfide, and benzophenone under nitrogen at 280 °C. Thermal degradation of cellulose (Whatman filter paper) was...