New ionic hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis catalysts for the deoxygenation of renewable sugar polyols and lignins to alpha, omega-diols and phenolics as polymer components

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Canada is a major producer of agriculture based carbohydrate biomass such as corn sugar, corn fiber and seed oils (e.g. canola, corn or soy bean oil) as well as lignins from pulp and paper processing. Our fundamental research is aimed at the molecular level design and development of new man-made transition metal catalysts that will open new pathways to the production of high value-added non-food products from these locally grown agricultural and forrestry commodities. The transtition metal complex based catalysts to be investigated achieve this by reducing the oxygen content of the carbohydrate and lignin starting materials through a combination of dehydration (loss of water) followed by hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis (addition of hydrogen) reactions that transform them into chemicals that can directly be used in the petrochemical industry for the manufacture of everyday polymers such as Lycra(TM) or Corterra(TM) and Sorona(TM) or phenol based resins. Some of these polymers are presently produced and used on a large scale by the Canadian chemical industry.