To gain an insight of the chemistry in the alkali-promoted aromatization of oxygen-containing heavily aromatic polymers or biomass; thermal degradations of sodium phenolates with different substituents have been investigated. The -ONa group strongly destabilizes the phenolates. The thermal stability of phenolates is largely in parallel with bond strengths of Ar substituents. De-substituents and the removal of aromatic hydrogens are dominant reactions in the main degradation step. CO is formed only at a very late stage. This degradation pattern is completely different from that of phenol. To account for this distinctive decomposition; a mechanism involving an unprecedented formation of an aromatic carbon radical anion generated from the homolytic cleavage of Ar substituent (or Ar-H) in keto forms has been proposed. The homolytic cleavage of Ar substituent (or Ar-H) is facilitated by the strong electron-donating ability of the oxygen anion. A set of free-radical reactions involved in the alkali-catalyzed aromatization have been established.
Keywords: aromaticity; aromatization; phenolate; radical anion; thermal degradation.