Activation of glucose with Fenton’s reagent: chemical structures of activated products and their reaction efficacy toward cellulosic material

Abstract

Abstract The release of harmful volatiles, such as formaldehyde, is a major issue of the chemical modification of wood that limits the utilization of the modified wood in indoor environment. In this study, glucose (Glc) was activated with Fenton’s reagent under various conditions and the chemical structure of the activated Glc was characterized. Also, the reactivity of the activated Glc toward filter paper as a wood model was evaluated. The results show that the H2O2 concentration controlled the activation ratio of Glc. Additionally, the Fe(II) concentration and activation temperature determined mainly the oxidation reaction rate. The Fenton reaction in an acidic solution resulted in higher activation efficacy of Glc and better fixation in the filter paper, compared to the reaction in an alkaline solution. The Glc cannot be fixed in the filter paper, but the activated Glc exhibited a fixation ratio of up to 48.2% due to the formation of carboxyl and aldehyde groups, as evidenced by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It was demonstrated that activation of Glc with the Fenton’s reagent is a feasible and eco-friendly approach and the activated products have a high potential for wood modification.