Biobased furanic derivatives for sustainable development
This themed issue includes a collection of articles on biobased furanic derivatives for sustainable development.
Furan platform chemicals beyond fuels and plastics
Primary furan platform chemicals are attractive reactants for the production of fuels and polymers. This perspective shows that they are economic starting materials in the chemical and enzymatic synthesis of numerous chemicals of varying complexity.
Tutorial Review
Recommendations for replacing PET on packaging, fiber, and film materials with biobased counterparts
What are the most promising biobased PET replacements? Are they economically feasible? Are they sustainable? Industrially feasible? In the future, PET will certainly be replaced by more than one option, e.g., PEF, PTF, bio-PET, and PLA.
From PEF to rPEF: disclosing the potential of deep eutectic solvents in continuous de-/re-polymerization recycling of biobased polyesters
For the first time, the design of a urea : zinc acetate DES for a continuous, eco-friendly and closed-loop approach for recycling poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) is communicated to avoid its future accumulation in the environment.
Communication
Synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester from galactaric acid via dimethyl carbonate chemistry
A simple procedure for the one-pot synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester (FDME) from galactaric (mucic) acid via dimethyl carbonate (DMC) chemistry is presented. The compound was isolated as a white powder in 70% yield.
Process condition-based tuneable selective catalysis of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) hydrogenation reactions to aromatic, saturated cyclic and linear poly-functional alcohols over Ni–Ce/Al2O3
The related immense versatility of a ceria-promoted transition metal catalyst, utilized for the hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), is demonstrated in this research study.
Multicatalysis from renewable resources: a direct route to furan-based polyesters
A multicatalytic route to produce 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan and the corresponding copolymers is introduced. This one-pot approach uses several commercial catalysts and allows to obtain two furan intermediates, not contaminated by humins.
Paper
Tuning the selectivity of biomass oxidation over oxygen evolution on NiO–OH electrodes
Small cation size along with removal of trace iron from the electrolyte solution enables the practical use of earth-abundant nickel oxide electrodes for selective oxidation of organic molecules over water in aqueous solutions.
Paper
Furfurylation protects timber from degradation by marine wood boring crustaceans
We fed furfurylated and control wood to gribble. Our results imply that furfurylation of wood protects against degradation by gribble without the reliance on broad spectrum biocides and can reduce costs associated with damaged wooden structures.
A rigid plant oil-based thermoset with a furfural-derived cyclobutane cross-linker
Furfural-based hardener for cross-linking flexible epoxidized linseed oils leading to bulky biobased thermosets with high hardness and good ultimate strength.
Heterogeneous photocatalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural upon visible-light illumination
Photocatalytic dehydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-diformylfuran under visible-light illumination: complete conversion and high selectivity can be achieved without any oxidants, additives or any conventional hydrogen acceptors.
Paper
Furoic acid and derivatives as atypical dienes in Diels–Alder reactions
Bio-derived furoic acids and their derivatives are unexpectedly reactive dienes in aqueous Diels–Alder cycloadditions with maleimides.
Paper
Investigation of the catalytic activity and reaction kinetic modeling of two antimony catalysts in the synthesis of poly(ethylene furanoate)
The catalytic activity of two antimony catalysts was studied in the direct polymerization of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid with ethylene glycol to afford poly(ethylene furanoate), a biobased polyester for packaging applications.
About this collection
This themed collection aims to gather the most advanced research in the area of furanic building blocks. These furanic platform molecules can be further derivatized and employed in various applications (thermoplastics; resins; biofuels; fine chemistry; green solvents, etc.). Their end-life (recycling, biodegradation), within a circular rational, is also a sparking field of research activity. Therefore, the biomass origin of these furanic molecules and the Green Chemistry principles that are employed to prepare, modify and dispose these molecules fit with the expectation of the journal.
Guest Edited by Andreia F. Sousa (University of Aveiro, Portugal), François Jérôme (University of Poitier/CNRS, France) and Nathanaël Guigo (University Côte d’Azur, France).