Recebido em 4/7/13; aceito em 10/10/13; publicado na web em 24/10/13 CARBOHYDRATES AS A SOURCE OF COMPOUNDS FOR FINE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. Coal, oil, natural gas, and shale gas are biomass that is formed millions of years ago. These are non-renewable and depleting, even considering the recent discovery of new sources of oil in the presalt and new technologies for the exploitation of shale deposits. Currently, these raw materials are used as a source of energy production and are also important for the production of fine chemicals. Since these materials are finite and their (oil) price is increasing, it is clear that there will be a progressive increase in the chemical industry to use renewable raw materials as a source of energy, an inevitable necessity for humanity. The major challenge for the society in the twenty first century is to unite governments, universities, research centers, and corporations to jointly act in all areas of science with one goal of finding a solution to global problems, such as conversion of biomass into compounds for the fine chemical industry.Non-renewable raw materials are used in the preparation of fuels, chemical intermediates, and derivatives for the fine chemical industry. However, their stock in nature has a finite duration, and their price is high and will likely increase with their depletion. In this scenario, the alternative is to use renewable biomass as a replacement for petrochemicals in the production of fine chemicals. As the production of biomass-based carbohydrates is the most abundant in nature, it is judicious to develop technologies for the generation of chain products (fuels, chemical intermediates, and derivatives for the fine chemicals industry) using this raw material. This paper presents some aspects and opportunities in the area of carbohydrate chemistry toward the generation of compounds for the fine chemical industry.Keywords: fine chemicals; chains fine chemical from carbohydrates; renewable biomasses.
INTRODUÇÃOA compreensão humana sobre a natureza e a vida é baseada em nosso conhecimento da química, pois, em realidade, todos os processos da vida são controlados por reações químicas.Há vários problemas globais 1,2 em que a química pode ser o elemento chave de sua solução e, desta forma, promover o avanço social e econômico dos países em um mundo sem fronteiras. A saber: 1. biodiversidade e conversão de biomassa em matérias-primas; 2. fontes alternativas de energia limpa e renovável; 3. produção sustentável de fármacos; 4. a produtividade agrícola para alimentar o crescimento populacional; 5. qualidade da água para uso humano; 6. materiais reclicáveis e pouco persistentes; 7. nível dióxido de carbono e seu aproveitamento; 8. risco de desaparecimento de alguns elementos químicos por dispersão; 9. nanotecnologia e nanotoxicologia; 10. educação em todos níveis e em especial em química e; 11. responsabilidade social da química.O grande desafio da sociedade no século XXI é unir governos, universidades, centros de pesquisa e corporações para que atuem conjuntamente e...