Hydrolysis of Cellulose
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I am trying to put together a very basic chemical diagram that shows how the hydrolysis of a cellulose polymer actually occurs. In other words, if we started with the cellulose polymer and then water and heat, what are the hydrolysis by-products? What limits the reaction? What determines whether the hydrolysis reaction proceeds from cellulose to sugar (e.g. glucose) or continues on to convert the sugars to alcohol?
If one had to draw the chemical diagram of how this reaction proceeded, what would it look like?
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Solution Summary
This solution explains how hydrolysis converts a cellulose polymer to simple glucose molecules.
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A chemical catalyst will not likely cause the change of sugar to alcohol. An acid catalyst will ...
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