Science Network, July 11, 2006: Rising oil prices have become a major concern for drivers and consumers alike, with many everyday petrochemical products also seeing price hikes. For instance, the cost of polypropylene has surged in recent years, doubling in some cases. This sharp increase has sparked renewed interest in previously overlooked areas—converting crops and other renewable materials into household chemicals. While producing alternatives to petrochemicals remains challenging and costly, recent breakthroughs by American scientists are offering promising new directions.
According to a recent report in *Science*, University of Wisconsin-Madison chemist James Dumesic and his team have developed an innovative process that transforms fructose from fruits, corn syrup, and honey into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a compound that can replace traditional petrochemical building blocks. Unlike older methods, this technique is more efficient, simpler, and potentially less expensive. Thomas Zawodzinski, a chemical engineer at Case Western Reserve University, commented, “This is a significant step forward. It's a direction worth exploring further.â€
Although HMF hasn't been produced on a large scale due to high costs, it can be converted into other useful compounds like FDCA, which serves as a base for everyday chemicals such as polyester. The research team found that converting fructose into HMF involves removing three water molecules. They experimented with various acidic catalysts to speed up the reaction. However, HMF often reacts with remaining fructose, creating unwanted byproducts that limit overall yield. To address this, they tried using an organic solvent that floats on water, helping HMF separate and reducing side reactions. But recovering HMF from the solvent required high-temperature evaporation, which was inefficient.
To improve the process, Dumesic and his students added compounds like DMSO and PVP, which helped reduce side reactions and boost HMF yield. However, these additives increased HMF’s solubility in water, making it harder for the solvent MIBK to extract it. Eventually, the team solved this by mixing MIBK with a small amount of dibutanol, enhancing its affinity for HMF. Since MIBK has a lower boiling point, the solvent could be easily re-evaporated along with dibutanol, leaving behind pure HMF.
*Nature* magazine also covered the study, highlighting its importance. Jeff Hardy of the Royal Society of Chemistry in London noted, “Selection and separation are key challenges in this process.†He added, “Every effort to create materials from renewable sources is valuable, and this progress represents a meaningful step forward.â€
The improved method now converts 85% of fructose into HMF, a significant leap from previous rates. Todd Werpy, a biochemical expert at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, said, “With these advancements, we can now seriously consider commercial production of HMF from renewable resources. This could play a major role in meeting future chemical demands.†(Ren Yipeng)
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