Monobasic sodium phosphate salt is shown to unexpectedly catalyze cellobiose and maltose hydrolysis to glucose at temperatures between 90 degrees C and 120 degrees C and pH 4 in aqueous solution A selectivity of up to 80% glucose is achieved which increases with increasing disaccharide dilution The catalytic role of the phosphate salt is evident in a comparison of the measured activation energy of the catalyzed process for cellobiose hydrolysis of 59 kJ mol(-1) versus that reported for the background reaction of 136 kJ mol(-1) The normalized rate of catalysis over background significantly increases further at higher pH Zero-order dependence of hydrolysis rate on disaccharide concentration as well as a logarithmic dependence of hydrolysis rate on phosphate salt concentration is observed A heterogeneous catalysis mechanism is proposed which is supported by the presence of condensed phosphate in reaction solution via P-31 NMR spectroscopy This mechanism Involves disaccharide chemisorption and subsequent activation via interactions with surface acid/base sites (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved