Martina Peters

Chemical Technologies for Exploiting and Recycling Carbon Dioxide into the Value Chain

While experts in various fields discuss the potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, the utilization of carbon dioxide as chemical feedstock is also attracting renewed and rapidly growing interest. These approaches do not compete; rather, they are complementary: CCS aims to capture and store huge quantities of carbon dioxide, while the chemical exploitation of carbon dioxide aims to generate value and develop better and more-efficient processes from a limited part of the waste stream. Provided that the overall carbon footprint for the carbon dioxide-based process chain is competitive with conventional chemical production and that the reaction with the carbon dioxide molecule is enabled by the use of appropriate catalysts, carbon dioxide can be a promising carbon source with practically unlimited availability for a range of industrially relevant products. In addition, it can be used as a versatile processing fluid based on its remarkable physicochemical properties.

Screening of new solvents for artemisinin extraction process using ab initio methodology

The solubility of artemisinin in a range of conventional and novel solvents was evaluated using the COSMO-RS approach, and verified experimentally as well as against literature data. The computational method was improved by calibrating against a limited set of experimental data, enhancing the accuracy of the calculations. The optimised method was shown to be in reasonable agreement with experimental data; however, lack of reliable experimental data is identified as an issue. Several novel solvents perceived as green alternatives to conventional solvents were targeted and shown to offer good solubility of artemisinin. Extraction from Artemisia annua by carbonate solvents was experimentally verified.

Carbon Dioxide as a Carbon Resource - Recent Trends and Perspectives

With the growing perception of industrialized societies that fossil raw materials are limited resources, academic chemical research and chemical industry have started to introduce novel catalytic technologies which aim at the development of economically competitive processes relying much more strongly on the use of alternative carbon feedstocks. Great interest is given world-wide to carbon dioxide (CO2) as it is part of the global carbon cycle, nontoxic, easily available in sufficient quantities anywhere in the industrialized world, and can be managed technically with ease, and at low cost. In principle carbon dioxide can be used to generate a large variety of synthetic products ranging from bulk chemicals like methanol and formic acid, through polymeric materials, to fine chemicals like aromatic acids useful in the pharmaceutical industry. Owing to the high thermodynamic stability of CO2, the energy constraints of chemical reactions have to be carefully analyzed to select promising processes. Furthermore, the high kinetic barriers for incorporation of CO2 into C-H or C-C bond forming reactions require that any novel transformation of CO2 must inevitably be associated with a novel catalytic technology. This short review comprises a selection of the most recent academic and industrial research developments mainly with regard to innovations in CO2 chemistry in the field of homogeneous catalysis and processes. Graphical Abstract Carbon Dioxide as a Carbon Resource – Recent Trends and Perspectives

Environmental Assessment of CO2 Capture and Utilisation

This chapter provides an introduction to the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) for a reliable environmental assessment of CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU). Utilisation of CO2 as chemical feedstock aims at saving fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by providing an alternative carbon feedstock and closing the carbon cycle. However, these features do not necessarily render CO2 utilisation routes environmentally favourable since both CO2 capture and activation might require substantial amounts of energy. This chapter should enable the reader to understand the general concept of LCA and to identify the key environmental factors driving CCU.

Environmental Assessment of CO 2 Capture and Utilisation

This chapter provides an introduction to the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) for a reliable environmental assessment of CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU). Utilisation of CO2 as chemical feedstock aims at saving fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by providing an alternative carbon feedstock and closing the carbon cycle. However, these features do not necessarily render CO2 utilisation routes environmentally favourable since both CO2 capture and activation might require substantial amounts of energy. This chapter should enable the reader to understand the general concept of LCA and to identify the key environmental factors driving CCU.

Polymers from CO2—An Industrial Perspective

The chemical utilisation of carbon dioxide (CO2) as feedstock for the production of valuable polymers is a rewarding challenge. CO2 can either be used directly by copolymerization or indirectly by transformation of building blocks which were obtained from CO2 in a previous step. Both routes are discussed here. Moreover, the direct epoxide/CO2 copolymerization to yield polyether carbonates and the industrial efforts in the catalytic process development and scale-up at Bayer are highlighted and explained in detail.

Polymers from CO 2 —An Industrial Perspective

The chemical utilisation of carbon dioxide (CO2) as feedstock for the production of valuable polymers is a rewarding challenge. CO2 can either be used directly by copolymerization or indirectly by transformation of building blocks which were obtained from CO2 in a previous step. Both routes are discussed here. Moreover, the direct epoxide/CO2 copolymerization to yield polyether carbonates and the industrial efforts in the catalytic process development and scale-up at Bayer are highlighted and explained in detail.

Chapter 4 – Environmental Assessment of CO2 Capture and Utilisation

This chapter provides an introduction to the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) for a reliable environmental assessment of CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU). Utilisation of CO2 as chemical feedstock aims at saving fossil fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by providing an alternative carbon feedstock and closing the carbon cycle. However, these features do not necessarily render CO2 utilisation routes environmentally favourable since both CO2 capture and activation might require substantial amounts of energy. This chapter should enable the reader to understand the general concept of LCA and to identify the key environmental factors driving CCU.

Chapter 5 – Polymers from CO2—An Industrial Perspective

The chemical utilisation of carbon dioxide (CO2) as feedstock for the production of valuable polymers is a rewarding challenge. CO2 can either be used directly by copolymerization or indirectly by transformation of building blocks which were obtained from CO2 in a previous step. Both routes are discussed here. Moreover, the direct epoxide/CO2 copolymerization to yield polyether carbonates and the industrial efforts in the catalytic process development and scale-up at Bayer are highlighted and explained in detail.