Sustainable Chemicals from Biomass Catalytic Conversion and Biodegradable Plastics Development

📖 The Scoop

The escalating need for fuels and chemicals sourced from sustainable carbon has intensified interest in biomass as a renewable raw material. Triacetic acid lactone (TAL) and hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) are increasingly recognized as versatile platform chemicals capable of being transformed into a variety of valuable compounds traditionally obtained from petrochemicals. The efficient conversion of these platform chemicals is crucial for developing sustainable manufacturing processes for these high-value end products. This dissertation concentrates on the catalytic enhancement of TAL into sorbic acid and its potassium salt, potassium sorbate (KS), which find widespread use in the food and pharmaceutical sectors as antimicrobial preservatives. Initially, a novel method for producing KS directly from TAL using THF solvent is introduced, eliminating the intermediate production of sorbic postoperative. It is demonstrated that TAL-derived KS exhibits antimicrobial properties comparable to those of commercially available KS against various bacteria and fungi. However, the use of THF poses environmental and health concerns, particularly in food-related applications. Consequently, we explore a catalytic method utilizing food-grade solvents like ethanol (EtOH) and isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The feasibility of scaling up the production of KS from sugarcane using the developed process in IPA is examined through techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). Catalyst deactivation caused by impurities in the biomass-derived feedstock is one of the challenges in the biomass refinery process. Thus, this work also proposes an integrated method for producing Îþ-lactam from glucose-derived TAL through a combination of biological and chemical catalysis, including metabolic engineering, isomerization, aminolysis, and catalytic hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis. This novel approach allows for the direct use of TAL from the filtered aqueous fermentation broth, bypassing the isolation stage by leveraging the direct production of MPO from glucose. Further, this dissertation offers a fundamental exploration of effective catalytic processes for the sustainable production of HAH (HMF-Acetone-HMF) and discusses its potential industrial uses as a pharmaceutical ingredient and monomer. Additionally, the thesis addresses the environmental impact of plastic waste by developing biodegradable plastics. We provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of biodegradable plastics with focusing on clarifying the definitions and various terms associated with biodegradable plastics including oxo-degradable plastics, enzyme-mediated plastics, and biodegradation agents. We synthesize a new polyester, poly(pentylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PPAT), which can replace polyethylene in flexible packaging films. The characteristics and biodegradability of PPAT are thoroughly analyzed, providing a promising solution to the global challenge of plastic waste accumulation in oceans and soils.

Genre: No Category (fancy, right?)