Selectivity-Switchable Conversion of Chitin-Derived N-Acetyl-d-glucosamine into Commodity Organic Acids at Room Temperature

Chitin is an abundant and sustainable biomass from oceanic waste. Herein, a simple, mild, and effective method was developed to convert chitin biomass into valuable organic acids at room temperature using a common base and oxidant in water. In dilute sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, ∼72.3% yield of organic acid products including acetic acid (AA), formic acid (FA), glyceric acid (GlyA), and so forth was obtained from the chitin monomer N-acetyl-d-glucosamine under ambient air. Meanwhile, tunable product selectivity can be achieved by employing different oxidative reagents. FA was predominantly formed in 57.1% yield using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), while AA and GlyA were the major products in 41.2% yield with oxygen (O2) gas. Divergent reaction pathways were presumably involved when using different oxidants. Compared to the conventional methods at high temperatures and/or pressures, the established approach requires minimal energy inputs, inexpensive equipment with reduced carbon emission, capital costs, and safety risks.