Synthetic polyester from algae oil.
Current efforts to technically use microalgae focus on the generation of fuels with a molecular structure identical to crude oil based products. Here we suggest a different approach for the utilization of algae by translating the unique molecular structures of algae oil fatty acids into higher value chemical intermediates and materials. A crude extract from a microalga, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, was obtained as a multicomponent mixture containing amongst others unsaturated fatty acid (16:1, 18:1, and 20:5) phosphocholine triglycerides. Exposure of this crude algae oil to CO and methanol with the known catalyst precursor [{1,2-(tBu2 PCH2)2C6H4}Pd(OTf)](OTf) resulted in isomerization/methoxycarbonylation of the unsaturated fatty acids into a mixture of linear 1,17- and 1,19-diesters in high purity (>99 %). Polycondensation with a mixture of the corresponding diols yielded a novel mixed polyester-17/19.17/19 with an advantageously high melting and crystallization temperature.
Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz (Germany).
Philipp
P
Roesle
Florian
F
Stempfle
Sandra K
SK
Hess
Julia
J
Zimmerer
Carolina
C
Río Bártulos
Bernard
B
Lepetit
Angelika
A
Eckert
Peter G
PG
Kroth
Stefan
S
Mecking
D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000737:chemistry; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000737:chemistry; D007536:Isomerism; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D010165:Palladium / Q000737:chemistry; D011091:Polyesters / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
D056831:Coordination Complexes; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D009821:Oils; D011091:Polyesters; D010165:Palladium; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D000432:Methanol
algae oil; catalysis; polyester; renewable resources