Quantitative Determination of Pt- Catalyzed D-Glucose Oxidation Products Using 2D NMR

Quantitative correlative H-1-C-13 NMR has long been discussed as a potential method for quantifying the components of complex reaction mixtures. Here, we show that quantitative HMBC NMR can be applied to understand the complexity of the catalytic oxidation of glucose to glucaric acid, which is a promising bio-derived precursor to adipic acid, under aqueous aerobic conditions. It is shown through 2D NMR analysis that the product streams of this increasingly studied reaction contain lactone and dilactone derivatives of acid products, including glucaric acid, which are not observable/quantifiable using traditional chromatographic techniques. At 98% glucose conversion, total C-6 lactone yield reaches 44%. Furthermore, a study of catalyst stability shows that all Pt catalysts undergo product-mediated chemical leaching. Through catalyst development studies, it is shown that sequestration of leached Pt can be achieved through use of carbon supports.