Photocatalytic production of rare disaccharides from D-cellobiose using platinum-loaded titanium dioxide

Photocatalytic conversion of biomass-derived compounds into valuable chemicals is a promising approach for sustainable production. In this study, we investigated the photocatalytic conversion of D-cellobiose, the basic repeating unit of cellulose, into rare sugars by using platinum-loaded titanium dioxide (PtCl/TiO 2 ) under UV irradiation at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The reaction products were analyzed using HPLC, LC-MS, and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that D-cellobiose underwent complete degradation within 96 h under UV irradiation in the presence of PtCl/TiO 2 . Two disaccharides were identified as major products: 3- O -β-D-glucopyranosyl-D-arabinose and glucosyl-erythrose, which reached maximum concentrations of 4.64 mmol L −1 and 0.74 mmol L −1 after 8 h and 24 h of irradiation, respectively. On the other hand, some monosaccharides and organic acids were generated as byproducts. The D-cellobiose degradation mechanism involves two primary pathways: decarboxylation at the terminal aldehyde group, leading to carbon reduction, and glycosidic bond cleavage, followed by further degradation of the resulting monosaccharides. This photocatalytic approach provides an environmentally friendly method for generating rare disaccharides and monosaccharides from abundant biomass resources under mild conditions.