Quantum chemical study on gas phase decomposition of ferulic acid

<p>Ferulic acid, representing phenolic fraction of bio-oil, is considered to be a model compound in this study for its decomposition into various end products such as ethylbenzene, eugenol, <i>cis</i>-isoeugenol, vanillin, 4-ethylguaiacol, guaiacol, and acetovanillone using density functional theory approach. Results of bond dissociation energies indicate that cleavage of methyl group from ferulic acid is the lowest energy-demanding bond scission amongst all 14 bond cleavages. Primary end product by decomposition of ferulic acid is found to be ethylbenzene and its production occurs through the formation of intermediate products such as 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, cinnamic acid and styrene. Demethoxylation of ferulic acid gives rise to the production of 4-hydroxycinnamic acid which further undergoes the formation of cinnamic acid by dehydroxylation reaction route. The formation of cinnamic acid in this study is carried out using three reaction schemes 1–3 and its further reduction to ethylbenzene is performed using two reaction possibilities. Finally, favourable pathway is found to be decarboxylation of cinnamic acid to produce vinylbenzene followed by the production of ethylbenzene using hydrogenation of C=C chain double bond. Furthermore, thermochemistry of each reaction scheme is performed at atmospheric pressure and at a wide range of temperature of 598–898 K.</p