Biomass-derived chemical substitutes for bisphenol A: recent advancements in catalytic synthesis

Bisphenol A is an oil-derived, large market volume chemical with a wide spectrum of applications in plastics, adhesives and thermal papers. However, bisphenol A is not considered safe due to its endocrine disrupting properties and reproductive toxicity. Several functional substitutes of bisphenol A have been proposed in the literature, produced from plant biomass. Unless otherwise specified, the present review covers the most significant contributions that appeared in the time span January 2015-August 2019, describing the sustainable catalytic synthesis of rigid diols from biomass derivatives. The focus is thereupon on heterogeneous catalysis, use of green solvents and mild conditions, cascade processes in one-pot, and continuous flow setups. More than 500 up-to-date references describe the various substitutes proposed and the catalytic methods for their manufacture, broken down according to the main biomass types from which they originate.

Transition-Metal-Free Valorization of Biomass-derived Levulinic Acid Derivatives: Synthesis of Curcumene and Xanthorrhizol

Levulinic acid (LA) is acknowledged one of the most promising biomass-derived platform molecules and can be transformed into various value-added chemicals. Here, we report a new reaction process for the valorization of LA derivatives under transition-metal-free condition. The protocol combined with the conversion of the levulinate to tosylhydrazone and base promoted arylation, acylation, and etherification cross-coupling. Moreover, our method was applied to synthesize three biologically active molecules, rac-curcumene, rac-xanthorrhizol and rac-4,7-dimethyl-l-tetralone. This reaction discloses a new avenue for the high-value utilization of platform molecules.

Hyperbranched Poly(ester-enamine) from Spontaneous Amino-yne Click Reaction for Stabilization of Gold Nanoparticle Catalysts

Hyperbranched polymers have garnered much attention due to attractive properties and wide applications, such as drug-controlled release, stimuli-responsive nano-objects, photosensitive materials and catalysts. Herein, two types of novel hyperbranched poly(ester-enamine) (hb-PEEa) were designed and synthesized via the spontaneous amino-yne click reaction of A₂ monomer (1, 3-bis(4-piperidyl)-propane (A_2a ) or piperazine (A_2b )) and B₃ monomer (trimethylolpropanetripropiolate). According to Flory's hypothesis, gelation is an intrinsic problem in an ideal A₂ +B₃ polymerization system. By controlling the polymerization conditions, such as monomer concentration, molar ratio and rate of addition, a non-ideal A₂ +B₃ polymerization system can be established to avoid gelation and to synthesize soluble hb-PEEa. Due to abundant unreacted alkynyl groups in periphery, the hb-PEEa can be further functionalized by different amino compounds or their derivates. The as-prepared amphiphilic PEG-hb-PEEa copolymer can readily self-assemble into micelles in water, which can be used as surfactant to stabilize Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) during reduction of NaBH₄ in aqueous solution. As a demonstration, the as-prepared PEG-hb-PEEa-supported AuNPs demonstrate good dispersion in water, solvent stability and remarkable catalytic activity for reduction of nitrobenzene compounds.

Advances in catalytic routes for the production of carboxylic acids from biomass: a step forward for sustainable polymers

Polymers are ubiquitously present in our daily life because they can meet a wide range of needs and fields of applications. This success, based on an irresponsible linear consumption of plastics and the access to cheap oil, is creating serious environmental problems. Two lines of actions are needed to cope with them: to adopt a circular consumption of plastics and to produce renewable carbon-neutral monomers. This review analyses the recent advances in the chemocatalytic processes for producing biomass-derived carboxylic acids. These renewable carboxylic acids are involved in the synthesis of relevant general purpose and specialty polyesters and polyamides; some of them are currently derived from oil, while others can become surrogates of petrochemical polymers due to their excellent performance properties. Polyesters and polyamides are very suitable to be depolymerised to other valuable chemicals or to their constituent monomers, what facilitates the circular reutilisation of these monomers. Different types of carboxylic acids have been included in this review: monocarboxylic acids (like glycolic, lactic, hydroxypropanoic, methyl vinyl glycolic, methyl-4-methoxy-2-hydroxybutanoic, 2,5-dihydroxypent-3-enoic, 2,5,6-trihydroxyhex-3-enoic acids, diphenolic, acrylic and δ-amino levulinic acids), dicarboxylic acids (2,5-furandicarboxylic, maleic, succinic, adipic and terephthalic acids) and sugar acids (like gluconic and glucaric acids). The review evaluates the technology status and the advantages and drawbacks of each route in terms of feedstock, reaction pathways, catalysts and economic and environmental evaluation. The prospects and the new research that should be undertaken to overcome the main problems threatening their economic viability or the weaknesses that prevent their commercial implementation have also been underlined.

Levulinic Acid Biorefineries: New Challenges for Efficient Utilization of Biomass

Levulinic acid is a sustainable platform molecule that can be upgraded to valuable chemicals and fuel additives. This article focuses on the catalytic upgrading of levulinic acid into various chemicals such as levulinate esters, δ-aminolevulinic acid, succinic acid, diphenolic acid, γ-valerolactone, and γ-valerolactone derivatives such valeric esters, 5-nonanone, α-methylene-γ valerolactone, and other various molecular-weight alkanes (C9 and C18-C27 olefins).

Water-soluble sulfonated hyperbranched poly(arylene oxindole) catalysts as functional biomimics of cellulases

A new polymer acid catalyst, sulfonated hyperbranched poly(arylene oxindole), 5-OH–SHPAO, was prepared for selective cellulose hydrolysis.

Bio-based alternative to the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A with controlled materials properties

A series of biobased epoxy monomers were prepared from diphenolic acid (DPA) by transforming the free acid into n-alkyl esters and the phenolic hydroxyl groups into diglycidyl ethers. NMR experiments confirmed that the diglycidyl ethers of diphenolates (DGEDP) with methyl and ethyl esters have 6 and 3 mol % of glycidyl ester. Increasing the chain length of DGEDP n-alkyl esters from methyl to n-pentyl resulted in large decreases in epoxy resin viscosity (700-to-11 Pa·s). Storage modulus of DPA epoxy resins, cured with isophorone diamine, also varied with n-alkyl ester chain length (e.g., 3300 and 2100 MPa for the methyl and n-pentyl esters). The alpha transition temperature of the cured materials showed a linear decrease from 158 to 86 °C as the ester length increases. The Young's modulus and tensile strengths were about 1150 and 40 MPa, respectively, for all the cured resins tested (including DGEBA) and varied little as a function of ester length. Degree of cure for the different epoxy resins, determined by FTIR and DSC, closely approached the theoretical maximum. The result of this work demonstrates that diglycidyl ethers of n-alkyl diphenolates represent a new family of biobased liquid epoxy resins that, when cured, have similar properties to those from DGEBA.

One-pot two polymers: ABB′ melt polycondensation for linear polyesters and hyperbranched poly(ester-urethane)s based on natural l-amino acids

One-pot two polymers: a novel one-pot temperature selective polymerization reaction was developed for ABB′ type multifunctional l-amino acid monomers to produce spherical hyperbranched poly(ester-urethane)s and helical linear polyesters.

Conversion of (ligno)cellulose feeds to isosorbide with heteropoly acids and Ru on carbon

The catalytic valorization of cellulose is currently subject of intense research. Isosorbide is among the most interesting products that can be formed from cellulose as it is a potential platform molecule and can be used for the synthesis of a wide range of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and polymers. A promising direct route from cellulose to isosorbide is presented in this work. The strategy relies on a one-pot bifunctional catalytic concept, combining heteropoly acids, viz. H(4)SiW(12)O(40), and redox catalysts, viz. commercial Ru on carbon, under H(2) pressure. Starting from pure microcrystalline cellulose, a rapid conversion was observed, resulting in over 50% isosorbide yield. The robustness of the developed system is evidenced by the conversion of a range of impure cellulose pulps obtained by organosolv fractionation, with isosorbide yields up to 63%. Results were compared with other (ligno)cellulose feedstocks, highlighting the importance of fractionation and purification to increase reactivity and convertibility of the cellulose feedstock.

Tuning the acid/metal balance of carbon nanofiber-supported nickel catalysts for hydrolytic hydrogenation of cellulose

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are a class of graphitic support materials with considerable potential for catalytic conversion of biomass. Earlier, we demonstrated the hydrolytic hydrogenation of cellulose over reshaped nickel particles attached at the tip of CNFs. The aim of this follow-up study was to find a relationship between the acid/metal balance of the Ni/CNFs and their performance in the catalytic conversion of cellulose. After oxidation and incipient wetness impregnation with Ni, the Ni/CNFs were characterized by various analytical methods. To prepare a selective Ni/CNF catalyst, the influences of the nature of oxidation agent, Ni activation, and Ni loading were investigated. Under the applied reaction conditions, the best result, that is, 76 % yield in hexitols with 69 % sorbitol selectivity at 93 % conversion of cellulose, was obtained on a 7.5 wt % Ni/CNF catalyst prepared by chemical vapor deposition of CH(4) on a Ni/γ-Al(2)O(3) catalyst, followed by oxidation in HNO(3) (twice for 1 h at 383 K), incipient wetness impregnation, and reduction at 773 K under H(2). This preparation method leads to a properly balanced Ni/CNF catalyst in terms of Ni dispersion and hydrogenation capacity on the one hand, and the number of acidic surface-oxygen groups responsible for the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis on the other.