Development of alternative solvents, catalysts and tools for biomass conversion

本研究的主要目标是开发和评估替代催化剂，溶剂和流动化学工具，以将木质纤维素生物质升级为增值产品。虽然替代溶剂，如可切换的亲水性溶剂（SHS）或CO2的领域，现在是先进的，我提出了新的用途SHS和气体作为分离系统和催化剂，用于精炼增值的生物产品。在所有生物质提质阶段都可以发现新的用途，例如提取（例如用于提取木质素单体的SHS）或催化（例如在由纤维素生产生物喷气燃料中使用CO2作为催化剂）。我的研究计划的长期目标是开发和评估替代催化剂，溶剂和流动化学工具，以升级木质纤维素生物质增值产品。在该发现补助金的使用期内，将解决以下两个主题的具体短期目标：1）使用SHS作为催化剂和溶剂生产增值产品; 2）使用气体作为催化剂，反应物和溶剂生产生物质衍生产品。主题1和2可以被视为平行流，其目标是开发替代催化剂、溶剂以及将它们应用于批量和流动的生物质转化的方法。在主题1中，SHS被评估为催化剂和溶剂;在主题2中，废气被评估为相同的角色。主题1期待扩大我目前的工作使用SHS作为催化剂在羟醛缩合。设想了四个主要的子活动：1）在其他反应中使用SHS作为催化剂以产生增值的大分子前体（例如伪麻黄碱、醋多苯、邻氨基苯甲酸、雷尼替丁、5-（二甲氨基-甲基）呋喃醇、2-[[（5-二甲氨基-甲基-2-呋喃基）甲硫基]乙胺等），2)新型手性SHS的开发和它们作为催化剂的用途的评估，3）SHS在生物质转化和升级中作为溶剂和催化剂的测试，4）利用SHS的流动系统的开发。主题2旨在将废气的使用扩展到新的反应和生物质转化系统中。该主题下有三个主要子活动：1）废气将用作各种反应（例如硫醇型迈克尔加成、亨利反应、狄尔斯-阿尔德反应、硝基羟醛等）中的催化剂、反应物和溶剂。增加的使用范围将包括评估“脏”废气，而不是清洁的实验室气体。2)第1部分中的经验教训将应用于使用气体作为木质纤维素生物质升级的溶剂和催化剂。3)将利用以前分项目中获得的信息发展流动技术。

This research's primary objective is to develop and assess alternative catalysts, solvents, and flow chemistry tools to upgrade lignocellulosic biomass to value-added products. Although the field of alternative solvents such as switchable hydrophilicity solvents (SHSs) or CO2 is now well advanced, I propose novel uses of SHSs and gasses as separation systems and catalysts for refining of value-added bioproducts. Novel uses can be found in all biomass upgrading stages, such as extraction (e.g. SHSs used to extract lignin monomers) or catalysis (e.g. use of CO2 as a catalyst in producing bio-jet fuel from cellulose). My research program's long-term objective is to develop and assess alternative catalysts, solvents, and flow chemistry tools to upgrade lignocellulosic biomass to value-added products. The specific short-term objectives to be addressed within the tenure of this Discovery Grant fall in the following two themes: 1) Use of SHS as both catalyst and solvent in the production of value-added products; 2) Use of gases as a catalyst, reactant and solvent for the production of biomass-derived products. Themes 1 and 2 can be conceived as parallel streams where the objective is to develop alternative catalysts, solvents, and the methods to apply them to biomass conversion in batch and flow. In Theme 1, SHSs are evaluated as catalysts and solvents; in Theme 2, waste gases are evaluated for the same roles. Theme 1 looks to expand on my current work using SHSs as catalysts in aldol condensation. Four main sub-activities are envisioned: 1) use of SHSs as catalysts in other reactions to produce value-added macromolecule precursor (e.g. pseudoephedrine, acedoben, anthranilic acid, ranitidine, 5-(dimethylamino-methyl)furan alcohol, 2-[[(5-dimethylamino-methyl-2-furanyl)methylthio]ethaneamine, etc.), 2) development of novel chiral SHSs and assessment of their use as catalysts, 3) testing of SHSs as solvents and catalysts in biomass conversion and upgrading, 4) development of flow systems utilizing SHSs. Theme 2 aims at extending the use of waste gasses into novel reactions and biomass conversion systems. Three main sub-activities fall under this theme 1) waste gasses will be used as catalyst, reactant, and solvent in various reactions (e.g. thiol type Michael addition, Henry reaction, Diels-Alder, Nitro aldol etc.). The increased scope of use will include assessing "dirty" waste gasses as opposed to clean laboratory gasses. 2) the lessons learned in part 1 will be applied to using gasses as solvent and catalyst in upgrading lignocellulosic biomass. 3) flow techniques will be developed using the information gained in previous sub-projects.