Synthesis of novel chiral phosphine ligands from novel levoglucosenone

This began with utilising conventional heating in the form of a tube oven, and as well as producing the initial feedstock of levoglucosenone for synthetic work, alternate starting materials for pyrolysis were investigated. Of these materials (paper, MCC and wood chips) microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) produced the highest yield of levoglucosenone per pyrolytic cyscle.

However, MCC rquires the highest amount of resource investment to obtain the starting material.<br><br>Conversely wood chips require the lowest amount of resource investment to obtain the stating material but had the lowest levoglucosenone yield per pyrolytic cycle. Microwave irradiation was then investigated as an alternative heating method for the pyrolysis themselves of cellulose. This was done initially using a thin coating at the bottom of and Erlenmeyer flask, however, although the pyrolysis themselves had a relatively short run time obtaining the products required a significant amount of solvent and time.