Catalytic conversion of lignin derived monomers to value-added chemicals

杜邦公司是一家先进的、以科学为基础的公司，在安大略省金斯顿经营着金斯顿技术中心 拥有110多名员工，其中包括35名博士。在化学和化学工程方面。该中心是 由10，000多名科学家和工程师组成的全球网络， 仅2013年一年，就带来了具有精细调整属性的下一代新材料和工艺， 客户的不同需求，包括优化其许可的纤维素乙醇技术。本公司已 自2008年以来一直在运营纤维素乙醇示范工厂，并将于2015年投入商业运营 一个规模的工厂，从玉米秸秆生产乙醇，产生木质素作为副产品。本公司已 发现了一个新兴的商业机会，生产高价值的化学品和建筑材料， 来源于木质素衍生物的材料。为了抓住木质素带来的新机遇，杜邦将 我想利用Cathy Chins教授实验室的专业知识来开发先进的催化转化策略， 开发木质素副产物，特别是集中在升级单体和二聚体从解构 木质素 拟议的工作将开发创新的，环境友好的催化策略，以转化木质素 衍生的单体和二聚体选择性地转化为增值化学品，从而最大限度地减少H2消耗， 减少碳足迹。木质素是一种复杂的、难降解的大分子， 苯基丙烷型结构单元是精细化学品和芳族化合物的有吸引力的前体。复杂 然而，木质素的大分子结构抵抗控制解聚，除非在苛刻条件下。 条件由于其结构的复杂性，木质素被认为是最未被利用的木质纤维素。 生物质，目前商业上用于通过其在纸浆中的燃烧来产生热量和电力， 造纸工业。最近在木质素解聚策略方面的突破已经导致木质素解聚的产率增加。 单体和二聚体在相对温和的条件下，从而开辟了新的机会，利用木质素作为 聚合物和精细化学品的宝贵前体。 该项目将利用全面的动力学和催化筛选方法， 光谱和显微镜仪器，新提供的多伦多大学比较， 贵金属和贱金属催化剂之间的反应性，其中一些由杜邦公司开发。的 目的是评价催化剂的性能和功能，改进催化剂配方，并获得新的 对木质素单体的控制、选择性脱氧的机理见解。技术发现由此 该项目将导致新的催化剂，并使加工策略，利用木质素。这项工作还将 在杜邦开发的一系列催化剂上建立基本化学，并坚定公司的地位 抓住发展下一代木质素转化技术的机遇， 杜邦木质纤维素乙醇工厂。

DuPont is an advanced, science-based company, operating the Kingston Technology Centre in Kingston, ON with more than 110 employees, including 35 Ph.Ds. in chemistry and chemical engineering. This Centre is part of a global network of over 10,000 scientists and engineers that have launched more than 1,800 new products in 2013 alone, bringing the next generation of new materials and processes with finely tuned attributes to meet our customers varied needs, including optimization of its licensable cellulosic ethanol technology. The company has been operating a cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant since 2008 and in 2015 will commission a commercial scale plant for ethanol production from corn stover, which generates lignin as a byproduct. The company has identified an emerging business opportunity to produce high value chemicals and building blocks for naturally sourced materials from lignin derivatives. In order to capture emerging opportunities from lignin, DuPont would like to leverage expertise in Prof. Cathy Chins lab to develop advanced catalytic conversion strategies in order to exploit the lignin byproducts, specifically focusing on upgrading monomers and dimers from deconstructed lignin. The proposed work will develop innovative, environmentally benign catalytic strategies to transform lignin derived monomers and dimers selectively to value-added chemicals, thus minimizing H2 consumption and reducing the carbon footprint. Lignin, one of the complex and recalcitrant macromolecule constructed from phenyl propane type building blocks, are attractive precursors to fine chemicals and aromatics. The complex macromolecular structures of lignin are, however, resistant to control depolymerization except under harsh conditions. As a result of its structural complexity, lignin is recognized as the most underutilized lignocellulosic biomass and currently used commercially for generation of heat and power through its combustion in pulp and paper industry. Recent breakthroughs in lignin depolymerization strategies have led to an increase in the yield of monomers and dimers at relatively mild conditions and thus opened up new opportunities for utilizing lignin as a valuable precursor for polymers and fine-chemicals. The project will utilize comprehensive kinetic and catalytic screening methodologies, together with state-of-theart spectroscopic and microscopic instrumentation, newly available at the University of Toronto to compare the reactivities between precious metal and base metal catalysts, some of which are developed by DuPont. The goal is to evaluate the catalysts performance and functions, improve catalyst formulations, and obtain new mechanistic insights for control, selective deoxygenation of lignin monomers. Technology discoveries from this project would lead to new catalysts and enable processing strategies that utilize lignin. This work will also establish the essential chemistry on a series of catalysts developed by DuPont and firmly position the company to seizing the opportunities in developing next generation lignin conversion technologies, to be integrated into DuPonts lignocellulosic ethanol plant.