Beyond Petrochemicals: The Renewable Chemicals Industry

Vennestrøm, Peter N. R.; Osmundsen, Christian Mårup; Christensen, Claus H.; Taarning, Esben

doi:10.1002/anie.201102117

Cited by 486 publications

(352 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Such is the rapidity with which SSHCs is now being deployed that the advances recorded in this author's monograph completed in mid-2011-table 1-have been further extended in ways that clearly demonstrate their importance in enhancing the prominence of green chemistry and clean technology, while also offering real prospects of establishing a renewable chemicals industry that goes beyond petrochemicals (see Christensen et al 2008;Gandini 2008;Vennestrom et al 2011). As described by Osmundsen et al (2012), lactic acid, a typical renewable chemical, is an important commodity chemical currently produced from carbohydrates by fermentation.…”

Section: A Brief Summary Of the Practical Value Of Single-site Heteromentioning

confidence: 95%

The societal significance of catalysis and the growing practical importance of single-site heterogeneous catalysts

Thomas

2012

Proc. R. Soc. A.

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The concept of single-site heterogeneous catalysis, herein defined and extensively illustrated, offers a strategy for the design of new solid catalysts. By capitalizing on the opportunities presented by nanoporous materials to assemble a wide range of new, well-defined, catalytically active centres, it is possible to bring about numerous environmentally benign processes that can replace traditional methods of chemical production. The latter often employs aggressive, corrosive or hazardous reagents. By using both microporous (less than 20 Å diameter) and mesoporous solids (20-500 Å diameter), abundant scope exists for the construction and application of shape-selective, regio-selective and enantioselective catalysts.Keywords: nanoporous solids; selectivity; benign reagents; renewable resources; clean technology; sustainability BackgroundIt would be difficult to overestimate or exaggerate the practical importance of heterogeneous catalysis. Think of the products of petroleum and natural gas upon which civilized life now relies. All the following are manufactured through the agency of solid catalysts: fuels (for transport and heating), fabrics, flavours, fragrances, fertilizers, certain foodstuffs and most pharmaceuticals. Moreover, many of the molecular building blocks for the production of a wide range of the commodities used in everyday life are also generated catalytically: propylene, benzene, toluene, xylene, benzaldehyde, terephthalic acid, adipic acid, caprolactam (precursor of nylon 6) and a variety of monomers for polymeric composites.In fundamental, academic terms, the phenomenon of catalysis is endlessly fascinating and perennially new. Its study presents a multiplicity of intellectual and technological challenges. If we are to understand how and why certain molecules transform readily and others do not when they impinge upon an active site, it is necessary, continually, to devise, develop and deploy new techniques of investigation. This is equally true if our aim-and it is one of prime importanceis to know more about the nature of the active site itself. Without a detailed understanding of the atomic architecture of the catalytically active centre, we are unlikely to be in a position to improve existing catalysts or design superior new ones (Thomas 1997).Because they readily facilitate the separation of products from unreacted reagents, and also because they are amenable to the various processes of thermal reactivation, heterogeneous catalysts (which almost invariably involve solid, active phases) are much more convenient to use than homogeneous ones. Consequently, they now figure eminently in the drive towards green chemistry, clean technology and sustainability. Those scientists concerned with such topics are currently exploring new ways of generating both energy and novel materials and in this regard, solid catalysts are of pivotal importance.There is now an exigent need to design and develop catalysts that can cope with and transform readily available reactants in an environmentally benign manner. N...

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Section: A Brief Summary Of the Practical Value Of Single-site Heteromentioning

confidence: 95%

The societal significance of catalysis and the growing practical importance of single-site heterogeneous catalysts

Thomas

2012

Proc. R. Soc. A.

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“…The production of chemical industry intermediates from renewable resources is a topic of current interest to offer alternatives to petrochemicals, energy savings, and to contribute to sustainable development [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Within this trend, the use of renewable unsaturated vegetable oils is attractive [1][2][3][4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alkene Metathesis Catalysis: A Key for Transformations of Unsaturated Plant Oils and Renewable Derivatives

Dixneuf

Bruneau

Fischmeister

2016

Oil Gas Sci. Technol. – Rev. IFP Energies nouvelles

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-This account presents the importance of ruthenium-catalysed alkene cross-metathesis for the catalytic transformations of biomass derivatives into useful intermediates, especially those developed by the authors in the Rennes (France) catalysis team in cooperation with chemical industry. The cross-metathesis of a variety of functional alkenes arising from plant oils, with acrylonitrile and fumaronitrile and followed by catalytic tandem hydrogenation, will be shown to afford linear amino acid derivatives, the precursors of polyamides. The exploration of crossmetathesis of bio-sourced unsaturated nitriles with acrylate with further catalytic hydrogenation has led to offer an excellent route to a,x-amino acid derivatives. That of fatty aldehydes has led to bifunctional long chain aldehydes and saturated diols. Two ways of access to functional dienes by ruthenium-catalyzed ene-yne cross-metathesis of plant oil alkene derivatives with alkynes and by cross-metathesis of bio-sourced alkenes with allylic chloride followed by catalytic dehydrohalogenation, are reported. Ricinoleate derivatives offer a direct access to chiral dihydropyrans and tetrahydropyrans via ring closing metathesis. Cross-metathesis giving value to terpenes and eugenol for the straightforward synthesis of artificial terpenes and functional eugenol derivatives without C=C bond isomerization are described.Résumé -Catalyse de métathèse d'oléfines : une clé pour des transformations d'huiles végétales insaturées et de substances renouvelables -Cet article présente l'importance de la réaction de métathèse croisée des oléfines par catalyse au ruthénium pour la transformation de dérivés de la biomasse en produits utiles pour l'industrie. Il constitue une revue des principaux travaux réalisés dans ce domaine par les auteurs dans leur équipe de catalyse à Rennes (France) en coopération avec l'industrie chimique. La métathèse croisée d'une variété d'oléfines fonctionnelles issues des huiles végétales avec l'acrylonitrile et le fumaronitrile, suivie d'une hydrogénation tandem conduit à des dérivés d'amino acides linéaires, précurseurs de polyamides par polycondensation. L'exploration de la métathèse croisée de nitriles insaturés bio-sourcés avec des acrylates a conduit à des dérivés d'a,x-amino acides, tandis que les aldéhydes gras ont permis un accès rapide à des aldéhydes bifonctionnalisés à longue chaîne et à des diols saturés. Deux voies d'accès à des diènes conjugués fonctionnels impliquant des réactions de métathèse catalysées par le ruthénium à partir d'oléfines issues de la biomasse sont décrites : l'une par métathèse croisée avec un alcyne, l'autre par métathèse croisée avec un chlorure allylique suivie Dedicated to the memory of Yves Chauvin, a great and inspiring pioneer in organometallic catalysis

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“…Unfortunately, there will not be enough biomass available when plants are harvested only from areas which could not be used for food and feed production. 4,5 One of the possibilities to avoid ethical conflicts and dodge a disadvantageous development on the resources market is the production of biomass by photo-autotrophic microorganisms, such as algae and cyanobacteria. Closed photobioreactor types may be installed on building fronts and roofs or may cover traffic areas -if the local climate allows their operation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photo-autotrophic Production of Poly(hydroxyalkanoates) in Cyanobacteria

Drosg¹,

Fritz²,

Gattermayr³

et al. 2015

Chem.Biochem.Eng.Q.

100

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In the last two decades, poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHA) were solely produced using heterotrophic bacteria in aerobic cultivation. With respect to the great potential (500 Mt yr -1 ) of raw industrial CO 2 streams and even greater potential of flue gases, the focus on photo-autotrophic biotechnological processes is increasing steadily. Primarily, PHA-gene transfer from heterotrophic bacteria into algae and plant cells was attempted, with the intention to combine the known biosynthesis pathway with autotrophic cultivation. The natural occurrence of PHA in cyanobacteria is known at least since 1966. However, cyanobacteria were never considered for commercial production because the PHA amount based on cell mass and based on volumetric productivity is generally very low. Therefore, strain improvements were suggested, either by gene amplification or by suppression of biochemical pathways competing for the cell's acetate pool. In the late 1990s, the success of genetic modification was confirmed experimentally, elevating the cyanobacteria cell's PHA content. With additional optimization, PHB amounts up to 50 % w/w of biomass dry matter or up to about 2.4 g L -1 bioreactor volume could be produced within 11 days. Considering the land use for agriculture and the competition for plant biomass between food, feed, fuel and energy production, the binding of CO 2 in a biotechnological process using photo-autotrophic microorganisms may become a promising option.

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Beyond Petrochemicals: The Renewable Chemicals Industry

Cited by 486 publications

References 40 publications

The societal significance of catalysis and the growing practical importance of single-site heterogeneous catalysts

The societal significance of catalysis and the growing practical importance of single-site heterogeneous catalysts

Alkene Metathesis Catalysis: A Key for Transformations of Unsaturated Plant Oils and Renewable Derivatives

Photo-autotrophic Production of Poly(hydroxyalkanoates) in Cyanobacteria

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