Dynamic materials derived from biobased furans: towards the ‘sleeping giant’ awakening

This focus article presents the author’s view on the problems in the development of biorefining strategies based on the use of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF), the key product derived from renewable plant biomass that was recognized as the ‘sleeping giant’ of the sustainable chemistry. The several key problems that hinder the large-scale production of HMF and its applicability in the laboratory organic synthesis and industry are discussed. This minireview is also focused on the development of the dynamic cross-linked polymers with controlled three-dimensional structure based on Diels–Alder reaction of biobased HMF-derived furans with maleimides. Realization of scalable technologies for an efficient production of such ‘smart’ analogues of the traditional petrochemical-based materials could be the basis for the realization of the competitive HMF-promoted biorefining.     

脱水Ni-Fe类水滑石的制备及其作为环保型催化剂用于生物质糠醛的高选择性缩醛化反应

合成了含硝酸根离子的脱水Ni-Fe类水滑石（Ni-Fe HTLCs）并将其应用于室温下的糠醛缩醛化反应。脱水Ni-Fe HTLCs对糠醛缩醛化反应显示出高选择性并基本实现糠醛的完全转化。作为耐水的路易斯酸和脱水剂,脱水Ni-Fe HTLCs被证明是适用于糠醛缩醛化反应的高效双功能催化剂。通过研究发现,脱除Ni-Fe HTLCs中水分导致颗粒收缩并增强层板间硝酸根离子间的电荷互斥,Ni-Fe HTLCs中弱酸性位点在糠醛缩醛化中发挥重要作用,脱水可改变酸性位点结构并增强其活性。脱水Ni-Fe HTLCs可吸收缩醛化反应中产生的大部分水分,但吸水后Ni-Fe HTLCs的结构并不能完全恢复,这可能是由扩散进入HTLCs层板间的有机分子导致。     

Process Development for the Detoxification of Fermentation Inhibitors from Acid Pretreated Microalgae Hydrolysate

The aim of this study was to remove 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) and furfural, known as fermentation inhibitors, in acid pretreated hydrolysates (APH) obtained from Scenedesmus obliquus using activated carbon. Microwave-assisted pretreatment was used to produce APH containing glucose, xylose, and fermentation inhibitors (5-HMF, furfural). The response surface methodology was applied to optimize key detoxification variables such as temperature (16.5–58.5 °C), time (0.5–5.5 h), and solid–liquid (S-L) ratio of activated carbon (0.6–7.4 w/v%). Three variables showed significant effects on the removal of fermentation inhibitors. The optimum detoxification conditions with the maximum removal of fermentation inhibitors and the minimum loss of sugars (glucose and xylose) were as follows: temperature of 36.6 °C, extraction time of 3.86 h, and S-L ratio of 3.3 w/v%. Under these conditions, removal of 5-HMF, furfural, and sugars were 71.6, 83.1, and 2.44%, respectively, which agreed closely with the predicted values. When the APH and detoxified APH were used for ethanol fermentation by S. cerevisiae, the ethanol produced was 38.5% and 84.5% of the theoretical yields, respectively, which confirmed that detoxification using activated carbon was effective in removing fermentation inhibitors and increasing fermentation yield without significant removal of fermentable sugars.     

双功能[Sn,Al]-Beta分子筛一步催化葡萄糖生成5-羟甲基糠醛

以部分脱铝的Beta分子筛为母体,采用同晶置换法将Sn植入骨架制备双功能[Sn,Al]-Beta分子筛,并应用于葡萄糖一步催化生成5-羟甲基糠醛(5-HMF)反应中.样品中Sn与Al的含量通过酸洗的浓度和酸洗的时间以及SnCl4处理的时间来控制.由于骨架中有与Al相关为B酸位,和Sn相关的L酸位,[Sn,Al]-Beta可作为一种双功能的固体酸催化剂.优化了[Sn,Al]-Beta催化葡萄糖一步催化生成5-HMF的反应参数,在最优Sn/Al比条件下,葡萄糖转化率为60.0%,5-HMF选择性为62.1%.     

Photocatalytic Oxidation of HMF under Solar Irradiation: Coupling of Microemulsion and Lyophilization to Obtain Innovative TiO2-Based Materials

The photocatalytic oxidation of biomass-derived building blocks such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a promising reaction for obtaining valuable chemicals and the efficient long-term storage of solar radiation. In this work, we developed innovative TiO₂-based materials capable of base-free HMF photo-oxidation in water using simulated solar irradiation. The materials were prepared by combining microemulsion and spray-freeze drying (SFD), resulting in highly porous systems with a large surface area. The effect of titania/silica composition and the presence of gold-copper alloy nanoparticles on the properties of materials as well as photocatalytic performance were evaluated. Among the lab-synthesized photocatalysts, Ti₁₅Si₈₅ SFD and Au₃Cu₁/Ti₁₅Si₈₅ SFD achieved the higher conversions, while the best selectivity was observed for Au₃Cu₁/Ti₁₅Si₈₅ SFD. The tests with radical scavengers for both TiO₂-m and Au₃Cu₁/Ti₁₅Si₈₅ SFD suggested that primary species responsible for the selective photo-oxidation of HMF are photo-generated electrons and/or superoxide radicals.     

Integrating Biomass into the Organonitrogen Chemical Supply Chain: Production of Pyrrole and d-Proline from Furfural

Production of renewable, high-value N-containing chemicals from lignocellulose will expand product diversity and increase the economic competitiveness of the biorefinery. Herein, we report a single-step conversion of furfural to pyrrole in 75 % yield as a key N-containing building block, achieved via tandem decarbonylation–amination reactions over tailor-designed Pd@S-1 and H-beta zeolite catalytic system. Pyrrole was further transformed into dl -proline in two steps following carboxylation with CO₂ and hydrogenation over Rh/C catalyst. After treating with Escherichia coli, valuable d -proline was obtained in theoretically maximum yield (50 %) bearing 99 % ee. The report here establishes a route bridging commercial commodity feedstock from biomass with high-value organonitrogen chemicals through pyrrole as a hub molecule.     

Volatiles,color characteristics and other physico–chemical parameters of commercial Moroccan honeys

Seven commercial Moroccan honeys were considered for chemical characterisation. Volatile fraction, total polyphenols content, antioxidant and antiradical activities were evaluated by employing different analytical methodologies. Several physical parameters such as refractive index, pH, water content, solids content and colour were measured. Volatile fraction revealed an abundant presence of cis- and trans-linalool oxide in the seven studied samples. The presence of high levels of compounds related to the Maillard reaction, like furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural, could be the result of thermal treatments used to liquefy commercial honeys or of long storage times. The CIE L^*a^*b^*C_ab^*h_ab° chromatic coordinates confirmed the advanced stage of the Maillard reaction, showing L^* values lower than the common values found for honey of similar typologies.     

Synthesis of furan dimer‐based polyamides with a high melting point

Polyamide composed of furan dimer, which is prepared from biomass‐derived organic molecule 2‐furfural, is synthesized. The reaction of 2,2′‐furan dimer 5,5′‐dicarbonyl chloride with several 1,ω‐diamines was carried out with a solution or interfacial polycondensation leading to the corresponding polyamide. Measurement of the melting point was performed resulting to exhibit a higher temperature compared with the related polyamide bearing a single furan ring composed of furan‐2,5‐dicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Thermal analyses (TG–DTA) also indicated higher temperatures of decomposition than those of FDCA‐derived polyamide. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 1516–1519     

Aqueous-phase catalytic hydrogenation of furfural to cyclopentanol over Cu-Mg-Al hydrotalcites derived catalysts: Model reaction for upgrading of bio-oil

A series of Cu-Mg-Al hydrotalcites derived oxides with a (Cu+Mg)/Al mole ratio of 3 and varied Cu/Mg mole ratio (from 0.07 to 0.30) were prepared by co-precipitation and calcination methods, then they were introduced to the hydrogenation of furfural in aqueous-phase. Effects of Cu/Mg mole ratio, reaction temperature, initial hydrogen pressure, reaction time and catalyst amount on the conversion rate of furfural as well as the selectivity toward desired product cyclopentanol were systematically investigated. The conversion of furfural over calcined hydrotalcite catalyst with a Cu/Mg mole ratio of 0.2 was up to 98.5% when the reaction was carried out under 140 °C and the initial hydrogen pressure of 4 MPa for 10 h, while the selectivity toward cyclopentanol was up to 94.8%. The catalysts were characterized by XRD and SEM. XRD diffraction of all the samples showed characteristic pattern of hydrotalcite with varied peak intensity as a result of different Cu content. The catalytic activity was improved gradually with the increase of Cu component in the hydrotalcite.     

甲苯/水双相体系中以稻草为原料合成糠醛

FeCl_3为催化剂,在甲苯/水双相溶剂体系中,以稻草为原料经水解反应制备糠醛,其结构经~1H NMR和~(13)C NMR确证。通过响应面分析获得的最佳反应条件为:催化剂质量分数23.09%,甲苯60 mL,溶剂比V_((甲苯))∶V_((水))=1∶1,料液比为67.5 g·L~(-1),于177℃反应60 min,糠醛收率高达78.92%。