TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The oxidant is selected from peroxides (preferably hydrogen peroxide, calcium peroxide and/or magnesium peroxide), ozone, hypochlorites, persulfates (preferably sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate and/or ammonium persulfate), permanganates (preferably sodium permanganate and/or potassium permanganate), peracetic acid, chlorine dioxide, chlorites, and/or halogens (preferably chlorine, bromine, iodine and/or fluorine). The catalyst is iron methylglycine diacetate or iron-2,3,4,5,6 pentahydroxyhexanoate. The metal ion is a transition metal ion (preferably iron ion, manganese ion, copper ion).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The ligand is provided by an organic acid or its salt (preferably a carboxylic acid or its salt) with chelating capabilities. The ligand is a polydentate ligand. The ligand is provided by a ligand source selected from aminocarboxylic acids, heterocyclic carboxylic acids, polyhydroxy aromatics, polycarboxylic acids, monocarboxylic acids, macrocyclic tetraamido compounds, phosphonic acids, rhodizonic acid, tetrahydroxy-1,4-quinone, and/or hexaketocyclohexane or their salts (preferably an aminocarboxylic acid or its salt; especially ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, hydroxyethyleneiminodiacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine-N,N',N'-triacetic acid, ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, methylglycinediacetic acid, glutamic acid diacetic acid, imidodiacetic acid, ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, and/or diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid or their salts).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The polysaccharides comprise cellulose or starch. The cellulose is selected from a source of hardwood trees, softwood trees, grasses, cellulose-containing plants and/or plant residues. The polysaccharides comprise corn starch and/or potato starch. The second average molecular weight is at least 50 (preferably 75)% lower than the first average molecular weight. The polysaccharides comprise milled corn produced by a dry grind process. Preferred Method: The cellulose is produced by a Kraft, sulfite, soda, or organosolv pulping process. The oxidant is added at 1-10 wt.% of the cellulose. The catalyst is added at an oxidant to catalyst weight ratio of 1:2 to 9:1. The pH is adjusted to 5 to 10 and then adjusted to a pH above 10. The polysaccharides are reacted at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The polysaccharides having the second average molecular weight are washed before hydrolyzing. EXAMPLE - Atmospheric hydrogen peroxide bleaching of northern unbleached softwood Kraft pulp was conducted using hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) (2.5-5% based on oven dry pulp) and iron methylglycine diacetate (Fe-MGDA) as the catalyst, with sodium hydroxide charge at 60 degrees C and pH of 8.5, for a retention time of 45 minutes, where the pulp consistency was 15% and ratio of HOOH to catalyst was 1:1. Similarly a pressurized hydrogen peroxide bleaching (control) was also conducted without using the catalyst, where the temperature was 90 degrees C and the retention time was 30 minutes. Pulp yields for both the test and control bleaching were 99% which indicates that the catalyst had no affect on pulp yield, whereas the pulp degree of polymerization for test bleaching was 900 and for control it was 2000. This shows that the average degree of polymerization decreased from 2000 for the untreated pulp to 900 for the pulp treated with the 1:1 peroxide to catalyst ratio. This result indicate that the cleavage of the cellulose chains increased as the catalyst dosage increased.