Electrochemical Coupling of Biomass-derived Acids : New C8 Platforms for Renewable Polymers and Fuels

Abstract

Electrolysis of biomass-derived carbonyl compounds is an alternative to condensation chemistry for supplying products with chain length >C 6for biofuels and renewable materials production. Kolbe coupling of biomass-derived levulinic acid is used to obtain 2,7-octanedione, a new platform molecule only two low process-intensity steps removed from raw biomass. Hydrogenation to 2,7-octanediol provides a chiral secondary diol largely unknown to polymer chemistry, whereas intramolecular aldol condensation followed by hydrogenation yields branched cycloalkanes suitable for use as high-octane, cellulosic gasoline. Analogous electrolysis of an itaconic acid-derived methylsuccinic monoester yields a chiral 2,5-dimethyladipic acid diester, another underutilized monomer owing to lack of availability.

Metadata

Item Type:

Article

Authors/Creators:

Wu, Linglin
Mascal, Mark
Farmer, Thomas James https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1039-7684
Perocheau Arnaud, Sacha
Chang, Maria Angelica Wong

© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details.

Keywords:

bio-based polymer, bio-based monomers, Platform molecules, electrochemistry, bio fuel, itaconic acid, electrolysis, kolbe coupling, biomass conversion, levulinic acid, Aldehydes/chemistry, Cycloparaffins/chemistry, Biomass, Biofuels, Polyesters/chemistry, Polymers/chemistry, Levulinic Acids/chemistry, Electrochemistry, Ketones/chemistry, Catalysis

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