SR9096 - Novel Transition Metal Based Catalysts for the Ionic Hydrogenation of Sugar Alcohols to High Value-Added Petrochemical Building Blocks

Lead researcher

Marcel Schlaf, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Guelph

Objectives

To develop a new transition metal based homogeneous reductive deoxygenation catalyst systems that use hydrogen gas as the sole reactant and generate water and the desired building blocks as the sole products.

Expected benefits

1. This technology will complement biotechnological fermentation processes, which are well suited for the production of very complex molecules, e.g., drugs, but are typically neither competitive nor environmentally friendly for large scale conversions of small molecules to basic synthetic buliding blocks.
   
2. This research has the potential to seed a new branch of chemical industries within Ontario that will use locally produced agricultural commodities to synthesize high valued added chemicals.
   
3. Establish a more diversified market base that should result in more price stability and a partial decoupling of the profit margins of Ontario farmers and grain processors from the extremely volatile agricultural commodities market.
   

Results

Ontario is a major producer of agriculture based carbohydrate biomass such as corn sugar, corn fiber and seed oils (e.g. corn or soy bean oil). Our fundamental research is aimed at the discovery and molecular level design of new man-made transition metal catalysts that will open new pathways to the production of high value-added non-food products from these locally grown agricultural commodities. The ruthenium, rhodium, palladium or platinum based catalysts to be investigated achieve this by reducing the relative water content of the carbohydrate starting materials through a hydrogenation reaction that converts sugar alcohols (e.g. sorbitol or glycerol) into chemicals that can directly be used in the petrochemical industry for the manufacture of everyday polymers such as Nylon™, Lycra™ or Corterra™. Some of these polymers are presently produced on a large scale by the Ontario chemical industry.

Related information

• Other projects funded through the New Directions Research Program in 2001