Fettsäuren und Fettsäurederivate als nachwachsende Plattformmoleküle für die chemische Industrie

Biodegradable High-Density Polyethylene-like Material

We report a novel polyester material generated from readily available biobased 1,18-octadecanedicarboxylic acid and ethylene glycol possesses a polyethylene-like solid-state structure and also tensile properties similar to high density polyethylene (HDPE). Despite its crystallinity, high melting point (T_m =96 °C) and hydrophobic nature, polyester-2,18 is subject to rapid and complete hydrolytic degradation in in vitro assays with isolated naturally occurring enzymes. Under industrial composting conditions (ISO standard 14855-1) the material is biodegraded with mineralization above 95 % within two months. Reference studies with polyester-18,18 (T_m =99 °C) reveal a strong impact of the nature of the diol repeating unit on degradation rates, possibly related to the density of ester groups in the amorphous phase. Depolymerization by methanolysis indicates suitability for closed-loop recycling.

Efficient Synthesis of Novel Plasticizers by Direct Palladium-Catalyzed Di- or Multi-carbonylations

Diesters are of fundamental importance in the chemical industry and are used for many applications, e.g. as plasticizers, surfactants, emulsifiers, and lubricants. Herein, we present a straightforward and efficient method for the selective synthesis of diesters via palladium-catalyzed direct carbonylation of di- or polyols with readily available alkenes. Key-to-success is the use of a specific palladium catalyst with the "built-in-base" ligand L16 providing esterification of all alcohols and a high n/iso ratio. The synthesized diesters were evaluated as potential plasticizers in PVC films by measuring the glass transition temperature (Tg ) via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

In Vivo Olefin Metathesis in Microalgae Upgrades Lipids to Building Blocks for Polymers and Chemicals

Sustainable sources are key to future chemicals production. Microalgae are promising resources as they fixate carbon dioxide to organic molecules by photosynthesis. Thereby they produce unsaturated fatty acids as established raw materials for the industrial production of chemical building blocks. Although these renewable feedstocks are generated inside cells, their catalytic upgrading to useful products requires in vitro transformations. A synthetic catalysis inside photoautotrophic cells has remained elusive. Here we show that a catalytic conversion of renewable substrates can be realized directly inside living microalgae. Organometallic catalysts remain active inside the cells, enabling in vivo catalytic olefin metathesis as new-to-nature transformation. Stored lipids are converted to long-chain dicarboxylates as valuable building blocks for polymers. This is a key step towards the long-term goal of producing desired renewable chemicals in microalgae as living "cellular factories".

Spongy titanosilicate promotes the catalytic performance and reusability of WO3 in oxidative cleavage of methyl oleate

A tungsten containing catalyst catalyzed oxidative cleavage of methyl oleate (MO) by employing H2O2 as an oxidant and is known as an efficient approach for preparing high value-added chemicals, however, the tungsten leaching problem remains unresolved. In this work, a binary catalyst consisting of tungsten oxide (WO3) and spongy titanosilicate (STS) zeolite is proposed for MO oxidative cleavage. The function of STS in this catalyst is investigated. On the one hand, STS converts MO to 9,10-epoxystearate (MES), which further forms nonyl aldehyde (NA) and methyl azelaaldehydate (MAA) with the catalysis of WO3. In this way, MO oxidation and hydrolysis that generates unwanted diol product 9,10-dihydroxystearate (MDS) decreases obviously. On the other hand, STS decomposes peroxide and promotes the conversion of soluble peroxotungstate to insoluble polytungstate. Meanwhile, these tungsten species are allowed to precipitate on its surface instead of remaining in the liquid phase owing to its relative large specific area. Therefore, tungsten leaching can be reduced from 37.0% to 1.2%. Due to the cooperation of WO3 and STS, 94.4% MO conversion and oxidative cleavage product selectivity of 63.1% are achieved, and the WO3-STS binary catalyst maintains excellent catalytic performance for 8 recycling reactions.

α-Dioxygenases (α-DOXs): Promising biocatalysts for the environmentally friendly production of aroma compounds

Fatty aldehydes (FALs) can be derived from fatty acids (FAs) and related compounds and are frequently used as flavors and fragrances. Although chemical methods have been conventionally used, their selective biotechnological production aiming at more efficient and eco‐friendly synthetic routes is in demand. α‐Dioxygenases (α‐DOXs) are heme‐dependent oxidative enzymes biologically involved in the initial step of plant FA α‐oxidation during which molecular oxygen is incorporated into the C_α‐position of a FA (C_n) to generate the intermediate FA hydroperoxide, which is subsequently converted into the shortened corresponding FAL (C_n‐1). α‐DOXs are promising biocatalysts for the flavor and fragrance industries, they do not require NAD(P)H as cofactors or redox partner proteins, and they have a broad substrate scope. Here, we highlight recent advances in the biocatalytic utilization of α‐DOXs with emphasis on newly discovered cyanobacterial α‐DOXs as well as analytical methods to measure α‐DOX activity in vitro and in vivo.