title: Highly efficient chemical process to convert mucic acid into adipic acid and DFT studies of the mechanism of the rhenium-catalyzed deoxydehydration.
abstract: The production of bulk chemicals and fuels from renewable bio-based feedstocks is of significant importance for the sustainability of human society. Adipic acid, as one of the most-demanded drop-in chemicals from a bioresource, is used primarily for the large-volume production of nylon-6,6 polyamide. It is highly desirable to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly processes for the production of adipic acid from renewable feedstocks. However, currently there is no suitable bio-adipic acid synthesis process. Demonstrated herein is the highly efficient synthetic protocol for the conversion of mucic acid into adipic acid through the oxorhenium-complex-catalyzed deoxydehydration (DODH) reaction and subsequent Pt/C-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation. Quantitative yields (99 %) were achieved for the conversion of mucic acid into muconic acid and adipic acid either in separate sequences or in a one-step process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, The Nanos, Singapore 138669 (Singapore).
authors.forename: Xiukai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Guangshun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Haibin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Yugen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000272:Adipates / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D015394:Molecular Structure; D019163:Reducing Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D012211:Rhenium / Q000737:chemistry*; D013400:Sugar Acids / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000272:Adipates; D019163:Reducing Agents; D013400:Sugar Acids; D012211:Rhenium; C029900:adipic acid; C000090:galactaric acid
keywords: density functional calculations; reaction mechanisms; renewable resources; rhenium; sustainable chemistry