Mechanocatalytic Depolymerization of Cellulose With Perfluorinated Sulfonic Acid Ionomers

Here, we investigated that the mechanocatalytic depolymerization of cellulose in the presence of Aquivion, a sulfonated perfluorinated ionomer. Under optimized conditions, yields of water soluble sugars of 90-97% were obtained using Aquivion PW98 and PW66, respectively, as a solid acid catalyst. The detailed characterization of the water soluble fraction revealed (i) the selective formation of oligosaccharides with a DP up to 11 and (ii) that depolymerization and reversion reactions concomitantly occurred during the mechanocatalytic process, although the first largely predominated. More importantly, we discussed on the critical role of water contained in Aquivion and cellulose on the efficiency of the mechanocatalytic process.CNRS Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueUniversity of PoitiersSpanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, CTQ2015-64425-C2-1-R)Junta de Andalucía ( FQM2012-1467

New natural based surfactants and methods to evaluate them for microemulsion production: Example of a public private partnership

National audienc

Use of Furandicarboxylic Acid and Its Decyl Ester as Additives in the Fischers's Glycosylation of Decanol by D-Glucose: Physiochemical Properties of the Surfactant Compositions Obtained

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid is a promising bio-based platform chemical that may serve as a ‘green’ substitute for terephthalate in polyesters. In the present work, straightforward glycosylation of decanol with unprotected and non-activated d-glucose was performed under reduced quantities of sulfuric acid as catalyst (down to 0.9 mol%) in the presence of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid or its n-decyl ester as additive. Yield of decyl monoglucosides was highly improved by the use of the additives. Moreover, the presence of additive also limited the colouration of the reaction. The physical and chemical properties of the surfactant composition produced were studied and compared to reference compositions. The ultimate biodegradability of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and its n-decyl ester formed or produced in the bulk reaction medium was also studied in order to assess its potential use in surfactant industry

Use of Furandicarboxylic Acid and Its Decyl Ester as Additives in the Fischers's Glycosylation of Decanol by D-Glucose: Physiochemical Properties of the Surfactant Compositions Obtained

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid is a promising bio-based platform chemical that may serve as a ‘green’ substitute for terephthalate in polyesters. In the present work, straightforward glycosylation of decanol with unprotected and non-activated d-glucose was performed under reduced quantities of sulfuric acid as catalyst (down to 0.9 mol%) in the presence of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid or its n-decyl ester as additive. Yield of decyl monoglucosides was highly improved by the use of the additives. Moreover, the presence of additive also limited the colouration of the reaction. The physical and chemical properties of the surfactant composition produced were studied and compared to reference compositions. The ultimate biodegradability of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and its n-decyl ester formed or produced in the bulk reaction medium was also studied in order to assess its potential use in surfactant industry

Sustainable chemistry: how to produce better and more from less?

International audienc

Elucidation of the role of betaine hydrochloride in glycerol esterification: towards bio-based ionic building blocks

International audienc

Conversion of wheat straw to furfural and levulinic acid in a concentrated aqueous solution of betaine hydrochloride

International audienceGlycine betaine hydrochloride (BHC), a safe acid industrially produced from the largely available glycine betaine isolated from the manufacture of sugar from beet, was used in combination with water to produce sustainable reaction media capable of selectively converting agricultural wastes to furfural and levulinic acid. At the end of the process, BHC can be conveniently recovered and recycled. Under optimized conditions, furfural was produced with 65% and 73% yield from wheat straw and xylan originated from beechwood, respectively. More importantly, by closely controlling the reaction temperature, it was possible to selectively drive the reaction either to xylose, furfural or levulinic acid. This process based on the use of biodegradable and safe BHC opens a sustainable route for the production of valuable fine chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass

Impact of shaping Aquivion PFSA on its catalytic performances

Over the last three years, a growing amount of reports highlighted the exceptional catalytic performances of Aquivion PFSA in many challenging chemical reactions. To date, all these studies employed Aquivion PFSA in powder form and the impact of shaping Aquivion PFSA on its catalytic performances has never been reported, although this aspect is of prime importance for implementation on a larger scale. Often considered as a matter of practical interest in the current literature, the shaping of a catalyst is actually mandatory and is clearly a key research topic for catalyst design and chemical engineering. Here, we explored the effect of shaping Aquivion PFSA on (1) its catalytic performances (i.e. yield, reaction rate and space time yield), (2) its ease of recovery at the end of the reaction (i.e. filtration, recyclability) and (3) its deactivation rate. In particular, we found that shaping Aquivion PFSA into micropellets was a good compromise (between powder and macropellets) to maintain acceptable catalytic performances while considerably facilitating the recovery of Aquivion PFSA at the end of the reaction. Last but not least, by properly controlling the reaction conditions, it was possible to limit the deactivation of Aquivion PFSA shaped into micropellets, a recurrent problem in catalytic carbohydrate processing. © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry