Cellulose may be converted into simple sugars such as glucose by contacting the cellulose with a compound effective to catalytically cleave the ether bonds of the cellulose. The compound may be a vitamin, a porphyrin, flavins, pyridoxal-containing molecules, and/or a compound containing at least one ylide functional group. The cellulose may be carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which may be made by reacting cellulose with chloroacetic acid and a base such as NaOH. The compound may be vitamins (B1, B2, B6, or B12), phosphonium ylides, sulfonium ylides, sulfoxonium ylides, carbonyl ylides, oxonium ylides, asomethine ylides, iminium ylides, halonium ylides, and combinations thereof. The free glucose may be used for fermentation, converted to a biofuel and for other applications.