SMECTITE CATALYZED DEHYRATION OF GLUCOSE

Authors: Gonzalez, Javier; Laird, David

Submitted to: Clay Minerals Society Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2003
Publication Date: 6/12/2003
Citation: GONZALEZ, J.M., LAIRD, D.A. SMECTITE CATALYZED DEHYRATION OF GLUCOSE. CLAY MINERALS SOCIETY MEETING. 2003. Abstract p. 67.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil organic matter (SOM) plays many important agricultural and environmental functions. Thus, a better understanding of the formation of humic materials in soils is necessary to develop soil management practices that enhance SOM formation. The objective of this study was to determine whether smectites abiotically catalyze transformation of glucose under conditions relevant to SOM formation. Four cation-saturated smectites were incubated under abiotic conditions with glucose solutions for 21 days at 37EC. After the incubations, glucose recoveries in the solutions ranged from 18.3 to 98.3%. However, soluble organic C recoveries ranged from 95 to 109.3%, relative to the amount of C added as glucose. The transformation products of glucose were identified as 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural and 4-oxopentanoic acid (levulinic acid). The results provide evidence that smectites catalyze glucose dehydration under abiotic conditions to form furfural compounds and levulinic acid. These transformation products are known to be highly reactive and are likely to be polymerized or co-polymerized with other organic compounds. Accordingly, the catalytic transformation of glucose by smectites is suggested as one of the pathways for the incorporation of new C into the soil organic matter during the formation of humic materials in soils.