Turning biobased materials into polymer precursors through catalytic decarboxylation

Authors: Doll, Kenneth - Ken; Moser, Bryan

Submitted to: Gordon Research Conferences
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Biobased carboxylic acids have the potential to become the needed feedstock for the production of biobased polymers. By removal of the oxygen atoms, the same monomer feedstocks that polymer producers already use, and are familiar with, can be developed which will allow practitioners to continue the development of high performance products. Through the use of ruthenium catalysis, an efficient method that will convert an unsaturated carboxylic acid to an alkene, without the use of co-reactants, is reported. Turnover frequencies of up to 93 (h-1 Ru-1) with a total turnover number of 1,130 have been demonstrated in this reaction. Through this process, monomers from styrene to decene have been produced. In a more complicated system, the same catalyst has been shown capable of decarboxylation of the poly-carboxylate carbohydrate, itaconic acid. The results show that the desired methacrylic acid can be produced, without producing the unwanted crotonic acid side product. As well as the high selectivity, this reaction can be run under a variety of solvent and pressure conditions. Overall, this technology offers the promising start to a biobased drop-in solution for the polymer industry.