MAGBONS: Novel Magnetically Separable Carbonaceous Nanohybrids from Porous Polysaccharides

Novel magnetically separable carbonaceous nanohybrids were prepared from porous starch by a direct multistep incorporation method. Materials denoted as MAGBON possessed an unprecedented magnetism at 450 degrees C and a somewhat similar structure to that of Starbon materials, with a contribution of CC, CO, and aromatic groups. Simple sulfonation of MAGBON450 provided access to sulfonated MAGBON materials with promising catalytic activities as shown in microwave-assisted oxidations of benzyl alcohol and xylose dehydration to furfural.