Strengthening the Connection between Science,Society and Environment to Develop Future French and European Bioeconomies: Cutting-Edge Research of VAALBIO Team at UCCS

The development of the future French and European bioeconomies will involve developing new green chemical processes in which catalytic transformations are key. The VAALBIO team (valorization of alkanes and biomass) of the UCCS laboratory (Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide) are working on various catalytic processes, either developing new catalysts and/or designing the whole catalytic processes. Our research is focused on both the fundamental and applied aspects of the processes. Through this review paper, we demonstrate the main topics developed by our team focusing mostly on oxygen- and hydrogen-related processes as well as on green hydrogen production and hybrid catalysis. The social impacts of the bioeconomy are also discussed applying the concept of the institutional compass.     

添加CaSO4·2H2O为晶种制备磷石膏半水硫酸钙晶须

以固体废弃物磷石膏为原料,在传统常压醇水热法的基础上添加CaSO₄·2H₂O为晶种制备半水硫酸钙晶须。采用单因素试验法探究了晶种含量、丙三醇含量和磷石膏质量分数对晶须结构和形貌的影响,确定晶须的最佳制备工艺条件。采用SEM和XRD对样品进行表征分析,实验结果表明:添加CaSO₄·2H₂O晶种制备晶须的长径比(49.29)比只添加丙三醇的样品的长径比(30.99)提高了近60%;当丙三醇与水的体积比(V)为1、晶种含量为1%、磷石膏质量分数为5%时制备的晶须的平均直径为0.65 μm,长径比达到了62.15,晶须的尺寸均匀。这说明添加1%CaSO₄·2H₂O晶种、V为1的丙三醇和质量分数为5%的磷石膏在常压下能制备出高长径比和尺寸均匀的半水硫酸钙晶须。     

镁铝复合氧化物负载铜催化剂上甘油选择性氢解合成丙二醇

我们通过乙醇溶液浸渍法合成出了具有高分散度金属Cu 的Cu/MgO-Al₂O₃ (Mg/Al 原子比=1/1, 3/1, 4/1)、Cu/MgO 和Cu/Al₂O₃ 等催化剂. 在200℃, 6.0 MPa H₂ 和二氧六环溶剂中, 这些催化剂高选择性地将甘油氢解为1,2-丙二醇(选择性>90%), 而单位表面Cu 原子的甘油转化速率则随催化剂表面碱中心与Cu 原子比例的提高而增大. N₂O 化学吸附-H₂ 程序升温还原实验表明Cu 粒子的本征氢解能力不随其负载量以及载体中的Mg/Al 原子比发生明显改变, 加之碱性MgO-Al₂O₃ 载体本身不催化甘油的转化, 我们推测在甘油氢解反应中金属Cu 粒子与载体界面处的碱中心辅助Cu 粒子活化甘油分子的α 位C-H键, 从而加速甘油脱氢为甘油醛步骤以及甘油氢解反应的进行. CO₂程序升温脱附实验以及对甘油氢解反应中Cu/MgO-Al₂O₃ 催化剂稳定性的考察结果暗示在甘油氢解反应中起主要作用的碱中心是载体表面上与Mg²⁺键连的羟基基团(即B 碱OH^-). 这些对甘油氢解反应中金属中心与碱性中心协同作用的认识对进一步理性设计高效的甘油或其它多元醇分子氢解催化剂具有重要指导意义.     

Rare earth‐doped calcium‐based magnetic catalysts for transesterification of glycerol to glycerol carbonate

Several rare earth‐doped, calcium‐based magnetic catalysts were prepared for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate. The basicity and basic strength analysis of the catalysts showed that the doping of rare earth improved the basicity of the catalysts, and the doping of lanthanum maximized it. In addition, with the doping of lanthanum, the particle size of the catalyst became smaller to promote the organic reactants near the active sites of catalysts, thereby effectively improving the performance. NiFe₂O₄@[CaO‐La₂O₃] shows better catalytic performance with 99.0% yield of glycerol carbonate compared to the other catalysts. The NiFe₂O₄@(CaO‐La₂O₃) could be reused in six cycles without significant loss in activity.     

Pd‐Catalyzed Reaction of Allyl Carbonate with Polyols: The Role of CO2 in Transesterification versus Etherification of Glycerol

An intermolecular Pd/PPh₃‐catalyzed transesterification of diallyl carbonate with glycerol to generate glycerol carbonate has been developed. Analysis of the reaction kinetics in THF indicates a first‐order dependence on Pd and diallyl carbonate, that the Pd bears two phosphines during the turnover limiting event, and that increasing the glycerol concentration inhibits reaction, possibly via change in the polarity of the medium. ¹³C isotopic labeling studies demonstrate that the Pd‐catalyzed transesterification requires at least one allyl carbonate moiety and that there is rapid equilibrium of the allyl carbonate with CO₂ in solution, even when present only at low concentrations. A mechanism that is consistent with these results involves oxidative addition of the allyl carbonate to Pd followed by reversible decarboxylation, with the intermediate η¹‐ and η³‐allyl Pd alkoxides mediating direct and indirect transesterification reactions with the glycerol. Using this model, successful simulations of the kinetics of reactions conducted under atmospheres of N₂ or CO₂ could be achieved, including switching in selectivity between etherification and transesterification in the early stages of reaction. Reactions with the higher polyols threitol and erythritol are also efficient, generating the terminal (1,2) monocarbonates with high selectivity.     

Urchin-like CoCu Bimetallic Nanocomposites for Catalytic Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol to Propanediols

Bimetallic CoCu nanocomposites were synthesized in polyol by using Ru as heterogeneous nucleation agent and stearic acid as surfactant, and their catalytic properties were investi- gated by hydrogenolysis of glycerol to propanediols. It was found that the surfactant could induce Co nanocrystals to form nanowires as structure-directing agent, while it's ineffective for Cu because only spherical Cu particles were produced under the same condition. When Co²⁺ and Cu²⁺ coexist in polyol, Cu²⁺ is firstly reduced and forms the spherical particles, and then the Cu particles afford surface for the subsequential reduction of Co²⁺ and growth of Co nanocrystals to form the nanorods, obtaining the urchin-like CoCu nanocomposites. The catalytic performance in selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to propanediols proposed that the CoCu urchin-like nanocomposites was superior to the Co nanowires possibly due to that the synergistic effect between Co and Cu component promoted conversion of glyc-erol and obtained the higher propanediol yields based on the specific surface areas of the catalysts.     

磷钨酸催化合成三醋酸甘油酯

以磷钨酸为催化剂,对冰醋酸与甘油的酯化反应进行了研究。考察了催化剂用量、酸醇比和带水剂对酯化反应的影响,探讨其最佳反应条件为：催化剂用量为反应物质量的3.8％,油浴温度为135℃－155℃,反应时间7h,酯收率达84.6%。     

Characterization and gas adsorption of a novel three‐dimensional metal–organic framework (MOF) generated from a new polydentate fluorene‐bridged ligand

A polydentate ligand bridged by a fluorene group, namely 9,9‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐2,7‐bis(pyridin‐4‐yl)fluorene (L), has been prepared under solvothermal conditions in acetonitrile. Crystals of the three‐dimensional metal–organic framework (MOF) poly[[[μ₃‐9,9‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐2,7‐bis(pyridin‐4‐yl)fluorene‐κ³N:N′:O]bis(methanol‐κO)(μ‐sulfato‐κ²O:O′)nickel(II)] methanol disolvate], {[Ni(SO₄)(C₂₇H₂₄N₂O₂)(CH₃OH)]·2CH₃OH}_n, (I), were obtained by the solvothermal reaction of L and NiSO₄ in methanol. The ligand L forms a two‐dimensional network in the crystallographic bc plane via two groups of O—H…N hydrogen bonds and neighbouring two‐dimensional planes are completely parallel and stack to form a three‐dimensional structure. In (I), the Ni^II ions are linked by sulfate ions through Ni—O bonds to form inorganic chains and these Ni‐containing chains are linked into a three‐dimensional framework via Ni—O and Ni—N bonds involving the polydentate ligand L. With one of the hydroxy groups of L coordinating to the Ni^II atom, the torsion angle of the hydroxyethyl group changes from that of the uncoordinated molecule. In addition, the adsorption properties of (I) with carbon dioxide were investigated.     

Deep eutectic solvents and glycerol: a simple,environmentally benign and efficient catalyst/reaction media for synthesis of N-aryl phthalimide derivatives

Abstract

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) and glycerol have been successfully employed as efficient catalysts/reaction media in the synthesis of N-aryl phthalimide derivatives from phthalic anhydride and primary aromatic amines. The DES prepared from choline chloride and malonic acid proved to be an efficient catalyst whereas glycerol and the DES of choline chloride and urea played a dual role of catalyst and solvent. These mixtures are biodegradable, nontoxic, and cost-effective thereby providing a good industrial alternative to conventional methods. These methods gave products in moderate to high yields with good recyclability of catalyst/solvent at least up to five consecutive runs.