Reaction Mechanism of Phenolic Lignin and High Concentration Chlorine Dioxide and Its Application

In fact, the chemical reaction rate of traditional chlorine dioxide bleaching of pulp is too fast to observe the intermediate process. The mechanism behind the reaction of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyacetophenone (APO), a phenolic lignin model compound, with high concentrations of chlorine dioxide was investigated. Individual solutions of each compound and a mixture of the two were analyzed by UV–vis spectrophotometry, and an absorbance band at 260 nm was observed for the stable benzoquinone intermediates at room temperature. Free chlorine dioxide displayed an absorbance at 360 nm and changes in this absorbance were studied with different APO concentrations. A fixed molar ratio of 1:3 was obtained between APO and chlorine dioxide consumption. The intermediate absorbance demonstrated a linear relationship with the APO concentration. The reaction path between APO and chlorine dioxide at high concentrations was speculated, and it was observed that the activity of C1, C2, C3, C5, and C6 on the APO benzene ring was enhanced when high concentrations of chlorine dioxide were present. From these results, a new method for efficient and clean chlorine dioxide bleaching can be developed.