Wood is composed of 35-50% cellulose, 20-35% hemicellulose, and 20-30% lignin. [1] Cellulose-lignin  separation is often accomplished via a rather harsh dissolution of lignin from wood by reacting it at high temperature and pH. These harsh conditions lead to elimination of reducing end groups of hemicellulose and, thus,  stepwise depolymerization (so called peeling) reactions, resulting in carbohydrate loss. To mitigate this yield loss, pretreatment methods can be applied. Nevertheless, when conventional pretreatments are used, the protection of hemicellulose is minimal. [2]  The industry is still in need of an efficient pretreatment method and to achieve that, a detailed understanding of degradation pathways is necessary. However, studying hemicellulose degradation is complex as it involves both the peeling reaction from the reducing ends and the glycosidic bond hydrolysis throughout the chain. Cellobiose with its Glc-β(1→4)-Glc structure, closely resembles the β(1→4)-linked sugar backbone of hemicellulose.  Since it is only a dimer, it can demonstrate an isolated peeling reaction without the interference from the alkaline glycosidic bond hydrolysis . [3, 4] As the start of our research, we aimed to determine the composition and concentration of the products arising from the alkaline degradation of cellobiose when subjected to oxidation (different levels) of the reducing ends to aldonic acids. Degradation products pretreated to ensure that aldonic acids are converted into their lactones. Without pretreatment, aldonic acids exist in multiple forms, leading to complex and overlapping signals. The final step before the GC-MS analysis is the production of trimethylsilyl derivatives to improve the volatility and thermal stability of highly polar and non-volatile degradation products. [5] Finally, through this research we aim to understand the degradation mechanisms of cellobiose first and hemicellulose second, as well as to identify new stabilization strategies for improving carbohydrate retention in pulping and biorefinery processes.