Todd A. Werpy

Top Value Added Chemicals From Biomass: I. Results of Screening for Potential Candidates from Sugars and Synthesis Gas

This report identifies twelve building block chemicals that can be produced from sugars via biological or chemical conversions. The twelve building blocks can be subsequently converted to a number of high-value bio-based chemicals or materials. Building block chemicals, as considered for this analysis, are molecules with multiple functional groups that possess the potential to be transformed into new families of useful molecules. The twelve sugar-based building blocks are 1,4-diacids (succinic, fumaric and malic), 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid, 3-hydroxy propionic acid, aspartic acid, glucaric acid, glutamic acid, itaconic acid, levulinic acid, 3-hydroxybutyrolactone, glycerol, sorbitol, and xylitol/arabinitol. In addition to building blocks, the report outlines the central technical barriers that are preventing the widespread use of biomass for products and chemicals.

Hydrogenation of Glutamic Acid to Value Added Products

Glutamic acid provides a platform to numerous compounds through thermochemical approaches including, hydrogentation, cyclyization, decarboxylation and deamination. Hydrogenation of amino acids also provides access into chiral compounds with high enantio-purity. In this paper the hydrogenation of glutamic acid is examined with an emphasis on controlling the selectivity of carbonyl reduction. Under neutral conditions at 70 oC, glutaminol is produced (US 6,310,254). At elevated temperatures pyroglutaminol is produced. Using base, the pyrrolidinone ring can be opened to give 4-amino-5-ol-pentanoic acid. Under acidic conditions, normally used for amino acids, the pyrrolidinone carbonyl is activated and prolinol is formed. A mechanism for the various products is suggested. The results show that hydrogenation of glutamic acid has unique characteristics from other amino acids and that paradigms in the literature do not hold up for this transformation.

High Activity catalysts for Polyols Production From C-6 Sugars

Over the course of this project, many significant discoveries have been made in the process for the conversion of sorbitol to value added products. The object was developing a process for the production of propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol (EG), and glycerol from sorbitol.