Issue 21, 2017

Selective hydrodeoxygenation of tartaric acid to succinic acid

Abstract

A novel one-step process for catalytic production of succinic acid from tartaric acid, which is largely available in the waste streams of wine making, is developed. A liquid-phase system comprised of a molybdenum oxide catalyst supported on carbon black (MoOx/BC) and hydrobromic acid in acetic acid under a H2 atmosphere is effective for selective cleavage of the C–O bonds of tartaric acid and selective hydrogenation of the resulting unsaturated carbons. Temperature, hydrogen pressure, and catalyst pre-treatment are optimized to understand their impact on catalytic activity and product distribution, leading to an 87% yield of succinic acid at 170 °C. Importantly, reduction of the carboxyl groups and C–C bond cleavage are retarded. Pre-reduction and characterization studies (TPR, XRD, XPS, and XAS) reveal that the high catalyst activity of MoOx/BC is correlated with the lower Mo oxidation states (+4 to 0) formed during pre-reduction that promote cleavage of the C–O bonds of tartaric acid and hydrogenation of the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond of the intermediate fumaric acid. Recyclability studies and structural characterization of the recovered catalyst indicate that MoOx/BC remains active upon reuse.

Graphical abstract: Selective hydrodeoxygenation of tartaric acid to succinic acid

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 Jul 2017
Accepted
28 Aug 2017
First published
30 Aug 2017

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2017,7, 4944-4954

Selective hydrodeoxygenation of tartaric acid to succinic acid

J. Fu, E. S. Vasiliadou, K. A. Goulas, B. Saha and D. G. Vlachos, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2017, 7, 4944 DOI: 10.1039/C7CY01374D

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