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Recent Trends in Catalytic Functionalization of Platform Molecules Derived from...
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Recent Trends in Catalytic Functionalization of Platform Molecules Derived from Raw Materials

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2022) | Viewed by 4070

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Salvatore Baldino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
Interests: homogeneous catalysis; (de)hydrogenative processes; coordination chemistry; organometallic chemistry; non-conventional media; asymmetric synthesis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The continuous efforts of the biorefinery sector in gaining versatile building blocks of high purity have given the possibility to access important platform-derived molecules that can further be elaborated into higher-added value chemicals. In this context, the catalytic valorization of simple (lately and more often named “small”) molecules derived in particular from thermochemical treatment of lignocellulose has become a research area of paramount importance both for the academia and the industry. As a matter of fact, several catalytic systems have been studied for the heterogeneous and homogeneous catalyzed transformation of compounds derived from (hemi)cellulose and lignin. However, the road travelled so far towards an efficient and greener valorisation of platform molecules is still going uphill. Therefore, the pursuit for innovative and sustainable systems that can smoothly gain high-added value compounds from platform chemicals represents a stimulating and a challenging research topic for the whole scientific community across the globe.

This Special Issue gladly welcomes original research papers, short communications or perspectives and reviews, describing experimental and theoretical features of recent trends in the catalytic functionalization of versatile building blocks derived from raw materials, with particular attention to (bio)chemical transformations of:

  • Ethanol
  • Glycerol
  • 3‑Hydroxypropionic acid and 3‑hydroxypropionaldehyde
  • Isoprene
  • Furfural
  • 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural
  • 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid
  • Succinic acid
  • Levulinic acid
  • Xylitol and Sorbitol

Prof. Dr. Salvatore Baldino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • platform molecules
  • raw materials
  • heterogeneous catalysis
  • homogeneous catalysis
  • (bio)chemical functionalization

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4820 KiB  
Article
Tunable Production of Diesel Bio-Blendstock by Rhenium-Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Crude Hexanoic Acid from Grape Pomace Fermentation
by Domenico Licursi, Anna Maria Raspolli Galletti, Claudia Antonetti, Gonzalo A. Martinez, Emma Jones, Lorenzo Bertin, Nicola Di Fidio, Sara Fulignati, Gianluca Pasini and Stefano Frigo
Catalysts 2022, 12(12), 1550; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12121550 - 01 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1576
Abstract
The transition from fossil resources to renewable ones represents a pressing need. The acidogenic fermentation of biomass-derived ethanol to carboxylic acids represents a novel and smart possibility, opening the way for the production of further value-added bio-products through cascade chemical approaches. In this [...] Read more.
The transition from fossil resources to renewable ones represents a pressing need. The acidogenic fermentation of biomass-derived ethanol to carboxylic acids represents a novel and smart possibility, opening the way for the production of further value-added bio-products through cascade chemical approaches. In this work, the hydrogenation of commercial hexanoic acid to give 1-hexanol/hexyl hexanoate mixtures was preliminary studied in the presence of commercial rhenium catalysts (Re2O7 and 5 wt% Re/C), which resulted as mainly active and selective towards 1-hexanol. On the other hand, the use of niobium phosphate as the acid co-catalyst markedly shifted the selectivity towards hexyl hexanoate. Moreover, 5 wt% Re/C and physical mixtures of (5 wt% Re/C + niobium phosphate) were further tested for the hydrogenation of crude hexanoic acid obtained through fermentation of white grape pomace, confirming the promising performance of these catalytic systems and their recyclability. For the first time, the employment of 1-hexanol/hexyl hexanoate mixtures as a diesel blendstock was evaluated, highlighting a significant reduction of soot and CO emissions, without any significant change in the engine performance. The promising properties of these oxygenated additives are favorable for the partial replacement of traditional fossil fuels, in accordance with the short-term goals of EU countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Catalytic Functionalization of Platform Molecules Derived from Raw Materials)
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18 pages, 22951 KiB  
Article
Selective Synthesis of Levulinic Ester from Furfural Catalyzed by Hierarchical Zeolites
by Sancler C. Vasconcelos, Luiz F. C. Pinhel, Vinicius G. C. Madriaga, Vinicius Rossa, Leyliane G. S. Batinga, Domingos S. A. Silva, Rodrigo D. dos Santos, André V. H. Soares, Ernesto A. Urquieta-González, Fabio Barboza Passos, Rajender S. Varma and Thiago M. Lima
Catalysts 2022, 12(7), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal12070783 - 15 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2141
Abstract
Furfural is a platform molecule that can be catalytically converted using a cascade series of reactions into levulinic esters, essential compounds used as fuel additives. Bifunctional catalysts containing Lewis and Brønsted acid sites such as zeolites are commonly used for these conversions. However, [...] Read more.
Furfural is a platform molecule that can be catalytically converted using a cascade series of reactions into levulinic esters, essential compounds used as fuel additives. Bifunctional catalysts containing Lewis and Brønsted acid sites such as zeolites are commonly used for these conversions. However, microporous zeolites often present diffusional restriction due to the size similarity of furfural and other molecules to the zeolites’ micropores. Thus, incorporating mesopores in these materials through post-synthetic protocols is a promising pathway to circumventing these limitations. This study presents the creation of hierarchical beta and mordenite using Si or Al removal and their employment in the furfural conversion to isopropyl levulinate (PL). Mordenite zeolite did not produce satisfactory mesopores, while the beta was more efficient in generating them by both acid and alkaline treatments. Beta zeolite treated in an alkaline solution presented larger mesopores (14.9 and 34.0 nm), maintaining a total acidity value close to its parent zeolite and a higher Lewis/Brønsted ratio. The combination of these features led to an improved diffusion of bulkier products and the highest furfural conversion (94%) and PL selectivity (90%), suggesting that a post-modification of beta zeolites produced efficient catalysts for upgrading abundantly available furfural. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Trends in Catalytic Functionalization of Platform Molecules Derived from Raw Materials)
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