title: Controlled defunctionalisation of biobased organic acids.
abstract: The production of chemicals from biomass is of large interest to the sustainable chemistry community. While the main focus in the literature is on compounds that can be directly obtained from carbohydrates via fermentation and on the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass, the production of chemicals via the controlled defunctionalisation of highly functional biobased compounds is largely undervalued. This feature article intends to highlight the recent progress in heterogeneous chemocatalytic defunctionalisation of the widely available citric and amino acids, focusing on the different chemical routes available and identifying the most promising defunctionalisation strategies based on atom economy and functionality index.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven Chem&Tech, Celestijnenlaan 200F, Post Box 2461, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium. dirk.devos@kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Jasper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verduyckt
authors.forename: Dirk E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: De Vos