Dean Toste et al. Chem-Eur J: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a polymeric material with high global demand. Conventionally, PET is produced from fossil-fuel-based materials. Herein, we explored the feasibility of a sustainable method for PET production by using solely bio-renewable resources. Specifically, 2,5-dimethylfuran (derived from lignocellulosic biomass through 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural) and acrolein (produced from glycerol, a side product of biodiesel production) were converted into the key intermediate p-xylene (a precursor of terephthalic acid). This synthesis consists of a sequential Diels–Alder reaction, oxidation, dehydration, and decarboxylation. In particular, the pivotal first step, the Diels–Alder reaction, was studied in detail to provide useful kinetic and thermodynamic data. Although it was found that this reaction requires low temperature to proceed efficiently, which presents a limitation on economic feasibility on an industrial scale, the concept was realized and bio-derived p-xylene was obtained in 34 % overall yield over four steps.
Making PET as green as grass: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be prepared from solely bio-renewable sources by converting 2,5-dimethylfuran and acrolein into the key intermediate p-xylene (see scheme). This atom-economic route consists of a sequential Diels–Alder reaction, oxidation, dehydrative aromatization and decarboxylation. We examined the feasibility of this process with an emphasis on the Diels–Alder reaction step.
Not super-relevant to our approach, but the article highlights possible directions. The main catch is that even the largest scale chemicals do not approach the scale of fuels. And our program is focused on fuels.
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