Extraction and Hydrolysis of arabinoxylans have been studied using RuCl3 catalysts over different mesoporous silica supports. Acidity of the catalyst is a key parameter for these processes: the higher the Acidity, the higher the Yield.
Ru+3 has demonstrated to be active, as it is a moderate Lewis acid. Arabinose is always faster released than xylose: Arabinose belongs to side chains and it is linked by beta-glycosidic bonds (weak). Xylose belongs to the backbone and it is linked by β -glycosidic bonds (strong).
