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Title: Adipic Acid Production via Metal-Free Selective Hydrogenolysis of Biomass-Derived Tetrahydrofuran-2,5-Dicarboxylic Acid

Journal Article · · ACS Catalysis
 [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States). Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation, Dept. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Biomass-derived furans offer sustainable routes to adipic acid (AA), a key chemical in Nylon-6,6 synthesis. In this work, we show that tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (THFDCA) is a viable precursor for AA production, achieving up to 89% yield in a metal-free system containing HI and molecular H2 in a propionic acid solvent at 160 °C. Reactivity studies demonstrate that the interplay between HI, H2, and the solvent is essential for effective THFDCA ring opening. By measuring the reaction orders of HI and molecular H2 and calculating an acid–base equilibrium constant in a nonaqueous solvent, we show that HI plays a multifaceted role in the reaction by acting both as a proton source and an iodide source to selectively cleave C–O bonds without overhydrogenation of carboxylic acid groups. Using reactivity studies, kinetic measurements, and first-principles computational insights, we demonstrate that metal-free activation of molecular H2 plays a key role in the reaction, following HI-mediated cleavage of the etheric C–O bond in THFDCA.

Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0001004
OSTI ID:
1469939
Journal Information:
ACS Catalysis, Vol. 7, Issue 10; Related Information: CCEI partners with the University of Delaware (lead); Brookhaven National Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Columbia University; University of Delaware; Lehigh University; University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Minnesota; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; University of Pennsylvania; Princeton University; Rutgers University; ISSN 2155-5435
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 51 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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  • The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 113, Issue 18, p. 6378-6396 https://doi.org/10.1021/jp810292n
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Adipic acid production catalyzed by a combination of a solid acid and an iodide salt from biomass-derived tetrahydrofuran-2,5-dicarboxylic acid journal January 2018
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Selective hydrogenolysis of 2-furancarboxylic acid to 5-hydroxyvaleric acid derivatives over supported platinum catalysts journal January 2019
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Highly selective conversion of glyceric acid to 3-iodopropionic acid by hydriodic acid mediated hydrogenation journal January 2019
Aerobic oxidation of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-diformylfuran with cesium-doped manganese dioxide journal January 2018
Total hydrogenation of bio-derived furans over supported Ru subnanoclusters prepared via amino acid-assisted deposition journal January 2020
Preparation of 5-methylfurfural from starch in one step by iodide mediated metal-free hydrogenolysis journal January 2019
Metal-Free Deoxygenation of α-Hydroxy Carbonyl Compounds and Beyond: Metal-Free Deoxygenation of α-Hydroxy Carbonyl Compounds and Beyond journal August 2019
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Properties of Novel Polyesters Made from Renewable 1,4-Pentanediol other January 2019
5-Hydroxymethylfurfural-Derived Boron-Dipyrromethene Immobilized on Resin Support as a Sustainable Catalyst for C–H Arylation of Heterocycles journal August 2019