The Reactions of Lignin Model Compounds with Hydrogen Peroxide at Low pH

Summary In peroxymonosulfuric acid bleaching, the presence of hydrogen peroxide is dependent on the reaction conditions and the conversion ratios used to generate the peroxy acid. Substantial amounts of hydrogen peroxide may be present in the reaction system under certain conditions. An understanding of the reactions of hydrogen peroxide under these conditions would be beneficial. Therefore, several simple lignin model compounds were reacted with acidic hydrogen peroxide, pH 1-3, at 70°C. In all cases the phenolic lignin model compounds reacted much faster than their non-phenolic counterparts. In fact, the extent of reaction was very much dependent on the structure of the lignin model compound. The α-hydroxyl compounds, 4-(1-Hydroxy-ethyl)-2-methoxy-phenol and 1-(3,4-Dimethoxy-phenyl)-ethanol, reacted faster than the corresponding α-carbonyl compounds with both reacting much faster than the aromatic compounds, with simple alkyl substituents. A new reaction mechanism for α-hydroxyl compounds is proposed, in which benzyl carbocation formation is followed by nucleophilic addition of hydrogen peroxide. Unlike the mechanisms proposed in the past, no evidence of aromatic hydroxylation via perhydronium ion was observed. The reactivities were very pH dependent, in that higher reactivity was associated with lower pH. Decreasing pH further increased the amount of condensation products identified, such that condensation was competitive with degradation. These condensation reactions were also present under the Caro's acid bleaching conditions at pH below 2. However, under all conditions the reactivity of acidic peroxide was found to be much less than that of peroxymonosulfuric acid.