Mg(OH)2 -Facilitated Liquid-Phase Conversion of Lactic Acid into 1,2-Propanediol over Cu: An Experimental and Theoretical Study.

Mg(OH)2 is found to exhibit superior performance in the liquid-phase conversion of lactic acid (LA) into 1,2-propanediol over Cu. A conversion of 90 % with a selectivity of 98 % is achieved at 513 K and 5 MPa H2 . Mg(LA)2 could be identified as a crucial intermediate in this reaction, as it undergoes faster conversion than the combination of LA and Mg(OH2 ) and regeneration of Mg(OH)2 through the conversion of Mg(LA)2 as a substrate. DFT calculations reveal that the energetic span of the reaction decreases from 46.6 kcal mol-1 catalyzed with no cation to 43.6 kcal mol-1 with [Mg(OH)]+ , confirming the facilitating effect of Mg(OH)2 .

Direct Synthesis of Methyl Formate from CO2 With Phosphine-Based Polymer-Bound Ru Catalysts.

Methyl formate was produced in one pot through the hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid/formate followed by an esterification step. The route offers the possibility to integrate renewable energy into the fossil-based chemical value chain. In this work, a phosphine-polymer-anchored Ru complex was shown to be an efficient solid catalyst for the direct hydrogenation of CO2 to methyl formate. The 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane-like polymer presented the highest activity with a turnover number (TON) of up to 3401 at 160 °C. The reaction parameters were systemically investigated to optimize the reaction towards the formation of methyl formate. This catalyst could be reused seven times without a significant decrease in activity. Evolution of the catalytic Ru center during the reaction was revealed, and a possible reaction mechanism was proposed.

Mechanistic Studies of the Cu(OH)+ -Catalyzed Isomerization of Glucose into Fructose in Water.

The isomerization of glucose to fructose is a crucial interim step in the processing of biomass to renewable fuels and chemicals. This study investigates the copper-catalyzed glucose-fructose isomerization in water, focusing on insights into the roles of the dissolved copper species. Depending on the pH, the thermodynamic equilibrium shifted towards one or a few copper species, namely Cu2+ , Cu(OH)+ , and Cu(OH)2 . According to thermodynamics, the highest concentration of Cu(OH)+ is at pH 5.3, at which the highest fructose yield of 16 % is achieved. The obtained fructose yields strongly correlate with the concentration of Cu(OH)+ . A pH decrease of 2-3 units was observed during the reaction, resulting in the deactivation of the catalyst through hydrolysis in acidic media. Based on the results of the catalytic experiments, as well as spectroscopic and spectrometric studies, we propose Cu(OH)+ as an active Lewis-acidic species following an intramolecular 1,2-hydride shift.

Hydrogenation of CO2 to Formate over Ruthenium Immobilized on Solid Molecular Phosphines.

Formic acid is a promising hydrogen storage medium and can be produced by catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 . Molecular ruthenium complexes immobilized on phosphine polymers have been found to exhibit excellent productivity and selectivity in the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 under mild conditions. The polymeric analog of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane exhibited the highest activity and turnover numbers up to 13 170 were obtained in a single run. This catalyst was already active at 40 °C and with a catalyst loading of only 0.0006 mol %. Recycling experiments revealed a loss of activity after the first run, followed by a gradual decrease during the subsequent runs. This is attributed to a change in the catalytically active complex during the hydrogenation reaction. High selectivity towards formate and low leaching were maintained in the absence of CO formation. Based on the catalyst characterization, a mechanism for the CO2 hydrogenation is proposed.

Solid Molecular Phosphine Catalysts for Formic Acid Decomposition in the Biorefinery.

The co-production of formic acid during the conversion of cellulose to levulinic acid offers the possibility for on-site hydrogen production and reductive transformations. Phosphorus-based porous polymers loaded with Ru complexes exhibit high activity and selectivity in the base-free decomposition of formic acid to CO2 and H2 . A polymeric analogue of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (DPPE) gave the best results in terms of performance and stability. Recycling tests revealed low levels of leaching and only a gradual decrease in the activity over seven runs. An applicability study revealed that these catalysts even facilitate selective removal of formic acid from crude product mixtures arising from the synthesis of levulinic acid.

Unravelling the Ru-Catalyzed Hydrogenolysis of Biomass-Based Polyols under Neutral and Acidic Conditions.

The aqueous Ru/C-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of biomass-based polyols such as erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, and cellobitol is studied under neutral and acidic conditions. For the first time, the complete product spectrum of C2 C6 polyols is identified and, based on a thorough analysis of the reaction mixtures, a comprehensive reaction mechanism is proposed, which consists of (de)hydrogenation, epimerization, decarbonylation, and deoxygenation reactions. The data reveal that the Ru-catalyzed deoxygenation reaction is highly selective for the cleavage of terminal hydroxyl groups. Changing from neutral to acidic conditions suppresses decarbonylation, consequently increasing the selectivity towards deoxygenation.

Efficient, solvent-free hydrogenation of α-angelica lactone catalysed by Ru/C at atmospheric pressure and room temperature.

The hydrogenation of α-angelica lactone was investigated over Ru/C. A mild protocol was developed, which resulted in full conversion and 96% selectivity toward γ-valerolactone. The reaction network was investigated and α-angelica lactone was employed in the one-pot conversion into 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, demonstrating its superiority as a platform molecule in potential biorefinery schemes.

Hydrogenolysis of cellulose over Cu-based catalysts-analysis of the reaction network.

A series of polyols, carbohydrates, and cellulose were tested in the aqueous, CuO/ZnO/Al2O3-catalyzed hydrogenolysis reaction at 245 °C and 50 bar H2. The compositions of liquid-phase products were analyzed; based on these results a unified reaction mechanism is proposed that accounts for the observed product distribution. Elementary transformations such as dehydration, dehydrogenation/hydrogenation, Lobry de Bruyn-van Ekenstein isomerization and retro-aldol cleavage were identified as most important for controlling the selectivity of simple polyols and carbohydrates. For cellulose the product distribution is considerably different than for glucose or sorbitol, indicating a change in the reaction pathway. Therefore, next to the traditional hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond, an additional depolymerization mechanism involving only the reducing ends of cellulose oligomers is proposed to account for this observation.