ClO(2)-Mediated Oxidation of the TEMPO Radical: Fundamental Considerations of the Catalytic System for the Oxidation of Cellulose Fibers

The reaction mechanism of ClO [Formula: see text]-mediated TEMPO oxidation was investigated by EPR spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy in the context of an alternative TEMPO sequence for cellulose fiber oxidation. Without the presence of a cellulosic substrate, a reversibility between TEMPO and its oxidation product, TEMPO [Formula: see text] , was displayed, with an effect of the pH and reagent molar ratios. The involvement of HOCl and Cl [Formula: see text] , formed as byproducts in the oxidation mechanism, was also evidenced. Trapping HOCl partly inhibits the reaction, whereas adding methylglucoside, a cellulose model compound, inhibits the reversibility of the reaction to TEMPO.