SOCUPols · Supported organocatalysts and their applications in the upgrade of bioderived polyols: desymmetrisation of glycerol to obtain building blocks for fine and pharmaceutical chemicals prod
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2016-02-01 → 2018-01-31
- EU contribution
- €170,122
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Supported organocatalysts and their applications in the upgrade of bioderived polyols: desymmetrisation of glycerol to obtain building blocks for fine and pharmaceutical chemicals prod
Natural polyols are very interesting feedstock. Their chemical upgrading aims at obtaining lower oxygenated compounds to be used as building blocks for traditional, fossil based chemical productions. On the other hand, their molecular complexity and high oxygen content can be seen as part of the work already done by Mother Nature. SOCUPols proposes a different approach consisting in the exploitation of the molecular complexity and high oxygen content of polyols to obtain valuable products and synthons for fine and pharmaceutical chemistry. The direct use of complex, highly oxygenated molecules is challenging but could allow to save time, energy and money. SOCUPols project aims at preparing novel organo-catalysts based on supported IL-like fragments for the upgrading of biomass derived polyols such as diols and glycerol. These heterogeneous catalytic systems will be fully recyclable and suitable for continuous flow operation. Due to the applied nature of this project the results could be of interest for the industrial sector. Further, the use of supported catalysts for flow chemistry in combination with the use of green solvents and reactants are of very high interest in pharmaceutical chemistry but also in the energy and fuels sector. The overall objectives can be listed as follows: (a) the development of an easy technology for catalysts preparation and manipulation; (b) their use for the transesterification of diols and glycerol; (d) the use of carbon dioxide as reagent, attaining polyols upgrading and CO2 fixation; (e) the development of new chemical processes for glycerol desymmetrisation using supported onium catalysts modified for asymmetric transformations; (f) the implementation of the most successful protocols in continuous flow.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Cooperative nucleophilic-electrophilic catalysis by ionic liquids (IL) has been recognised as a powerful tool for sustainable chemical transformations. Some of these transformations proved to be suitable for biomass derived chemicals upgrade. The SOCUPols project aims at preparing novel organo-catalysts based on supported IL-like fragments for the upgrading of biomass derived polyols such as diols and glycerol. Unlike ionic liquids and other organic salts, these heterogeneous catalytic systems will be fully recyclable and suitable for continuous flow operation. Project development will focus on the overall process sustainability: (a) by developing new polymer supported catalysts for environmentally friendly transformations; (b) by using these catalysts for the selective chemical upgrading of diols and glycerol (transesterification/acetalisation reactions) using green solvents and reactants; (c) by using carbonate formation as a CO2 fixation strategy; (d) by modifying the catalytically active sites to carry out asymmetric transformations, thus achieving the desymmetrisation of glycerol towards chiral synthons for fine and pharmaceutical chemistry; (e) implementing the most promising transformations in continuous flow (CF).This approach will be used for the design of simple and feasible strategies for the exploitation of renewable biogenic resources by retaining molecular complexity of biomass-derived material to prepare added value molecules and materials. This will represent a better alternative to low oxygen containing petroleum-derived feedstocks. Through SOCUPols, Dr. Marco Noè, Experienced Researcher (ER) interested in sustainable chemistry and fine and pharmaceutical chemical synthesis, will pursue academic career development through a specific technical training and project managing expertise, integrated with complementary added-value non-scientific skills.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA D'INVESTIGACIO QUIMICA · TARRAGONACoordinatorSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union