Premium
Renewable Chemicals: Dehydroxylation of Glycerol and Polyols
Author(s) -
ten Dam Jeroen,
Hanefeld Ulf
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201100162
Subject(s) - chemical industry , renewable energy , hemicellulose , biochemical engineering , renewable resource , fine chemical , glycerol , chemistry , cellulose , commodity chemicals , green chemistry , organic chemistry , chemical products , pulp and paper industry , raw material , catalysis , molecule , engineering , supramolecular chemistry , electrical engineering
The production of renewable chemicals is gaining attention over the past few years. The natural resources from which they can be derived in a sustainable way are most abundant in sugars, cellulose and hemicellulose. These highly functionalized molecules need to be de‐functionalized in order to be feedstocks for the chemical industry. A fundamentally different approach to chemistry thus becomes necessary, since the traditionally employed oil‐based chemicals normally lack functionality. This new chemical toolbox needs to be designed to guarantee the demands of future generations at a reasonable price. The surplus of functionality in sugars and glycerol consists of alcohol groups. To yield suitable renewable chemicals these natural products need to be defunctionalized by means of dehydroxylation. Here we review the possible approaches and evaluate them from a fundamental chemical aspect.