The mechanism for C-O-C bond cleavage in cellulose
involves protonation of glucoside bonds as shown in Figure
24. The proton can either attack the oxygen bond between
the two glucose units or the cyclic oxygen, which is defined
as pathways A-1 and A-2, respectively.253 The mechanism
is thought to involve the rapid formation of an intermediate
complex with the oxygen and proton, followed by the slow
splitting of glucosidic bonds by the addition of a water
molecule