Jin Deng

University of Science and Technology of China | USTC · Department of Chemistry

Alcoholysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) waste to produce monomers, including methanolysis to yield dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and glycolysis to generate bis-2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET), is a promising strategy in PET waste management. Here, we introduce an efficient PET-alcoholysis approach utilizing an oxygen-vacancy (Vo)-rich...

We report a metal-free photocatalytic method for producing MEK from LA using acridine photosensitizers and thiophenols, achieving high yield and selectivity. This process has mild conditions and reduces carbon emissions compared to other methods.

The utilization of renewable platform molecules as feedstocks for manufacturing high-value-added fine chemicals and liquid fuels has become crucial for green and sustainable chemistry and represents a rewarding challenge for...

The carbon reduction effect of bio-based levulinic acid chemicals is a matter of concern. This work reports the life cycle assessment of methyl levulinate based on local biomass refineries in China. The final LCA results showed that the entire life cycle of methyl levulinate could reduce by approximately 24% of carbon emissions compared with fossil...

To reduce environmental pollution and reliance on fossil resources, polyethylene terephthalate as the most consumed synthetic polyester needs to be recycled effectively. However, the existing recycling methods cannot process colored or blended polyethylene terephthalate materials for upcycling. Here we report a new efficient method for acetolysis o...

2-Methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF) is a biomass-based green solvent that has important applications in organic chemistry. Under solvent-free conditions, we investigated the efficient conversion of biomass platform molecules levulinic acid (LA) and...

A robust and highly active homogeneous chiral nickel–phosphine complex for the asymmetric hydrogenation of aliphatic γ‐ and δ‐ketoacids has been discovered. The hydrogenation could proceed smoothly in the presence of 0.0133 mol% catalyst loading (S/C=7500). The coordination chemistry and catalytic behavior of Ni(OTf)2 with (S,S)‐Ph‐BPE were explore...

A robust and highly active homogeneous chiral nickel‐phosphine complex for the asymmetric hydrogenation of aliphatic γ‐ and δ‐ketoacids has been discovered. The hydrogenation could be smoothly proceeded in the presence of 0.0133 mol% catalyst loading (S/C = 7500). The coordination chemistry and catalytic behavior of Ni(OTf) 2 with ( S , S )‐Ph‐BPE...

To reduce environmental pollution and reliance on fossil resources, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the most consumed synthetic polyester needs to be recycled effectively. However, the existing recycling methods cannot process colored or blended PET materials for upcycling. Here we report a new efficient method for acetolysis of waste PET into...

Neat levulinic acid is directly converted to valeric acid under mild conditions. Inexpensive and environmentally friendly non-noble metal catalysts are used.

Herein, we reported a well-defined pincer manganese complex supported by PNP ligands for the conversion of glycerol to sodium lactate with dihydrogen liberation. The sodium lactate could be obtained in...

Herein we reported a catalytic strategy for the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of biomass-based 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) upon visible-light illumination. The developed method could afford complete conversion and high selectivity of DFF without any oxidizing agent or additive or any conventional hydrogen acceptor. Gra...

A green and efficient method was developed for upgrading furfural to 1,10-decanediol diacetate and 1-decanol acetate. 92% yield of the acetates was obtained through tandem benzoin condensation and hydrodeoxygenation reaction. During the benzoin condensation, furfural was catalyzed into furoin in quantitative by the immobilized NHC catalyst under so...

The conversion of biomass to a high value-added product 1, 4-butanediol (BDO) and its derivatives is of great economic significance. In this work, furancarboxylic acid (FCA) was adopted as the raw material to prepare BDO. The one-pot synthesis of 1, 4-butanediol diacetate (BDA) has been successfully prepared from FCA with metal triflates and Pd/C c...

Biorefinery is pivotal to the sustainability of modern chemical industry. However, since biomass is oxygen-enriched, new and green chemical strategies are required for expanding the biomass derived chemical space. In this work, synthesis of natural products dihydrocapsaicin and dihydrocapsiate was achieved exclusively from lignocellulosic platform...

Lignin, an underutilized component of lignocellulosic biomass, is regarded as a rich reservoir for the production of aromatic chemicals and fuels. Despite extensive research in recent years, lignin's potential is far from being fully unlocked. Photocatalysis that uses sustainable solar energy to drive lignin conversion under mild conditions has bee...

Here, we report an inexpensive nickel-phosphine complex that can catalyse neat levulinic acid (LA) toγ-valerolactone (GVL) without additive at 1 atm H2, and the catalyst can be reduced to 0.01mol%...

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignocellulose-derived oxygenates to diesel or jet fuel range C8-C18 alkanes usually requires harsh reaction conditions. A fairly mild (160 °C, 4 MPa H2) one-pot catalytic HDO system based on Ru/HAP combined with HZSM-5 catalyst was developed, and a series of diesel or jet fuel range alkanes (C8-C18), including straight,...

The Cover Feature shows a novel and green pathway to synthesize high‐molecular‐weight bioderived poly(ethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate), which utilizes metal‐free ionic liquids to substitute for the metal catalysts that have negative impact on the polyester properties and environmental concerns. More information can be found in the Full Paper by X.‐...

Green synthesis of bioderived high‐molecular‐weight poly(ethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate) (PEF) over metal‐free catalysts is a significant challenge. This study focuses on PEF prepared from ethylene glycol and 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) through a direct esterification method with ecofriendly metal‐free ionic liquids (ILs) as catalysts. The c...

A green and efficient catalytic system for the one-pot production of 1-octyl acetate from biomass-derived furfural-acetone (FFA) under mild conditions was developed by selective hydrodeoxygenation over Pd/C and Sc(OTf)3 as a cocatalytic system in acetic acid. The effects of reaction conditions on production distribution have been systematically inv...

Selective conversion of biomass to value-added chemicals provides a green and sustainable way for current chemical industry which mainly relies on fossil resources. Acetonitrile (CH3CN) is a widely used solvent and important intermediate in organic and inorganic syntheses. In this study, we show that acetonitrile can be directly produced from bioma...

Currently, great attention has been paid on the study of the conversion of biomass-derived compounds to value-added chemical. Levulinic acid (LA) is a versatile valuable chemical and its various applications have been described. The selective conversion of biomass-derived LA to produce valeric acid and valerate esters has been successfully performe...

The Cover Feature shows W(OTf)6 catalyzed ring‐contraction of macrolides to stable five‐membered γ‐lactones in [EMIM]OTf. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Xie et al.

γ‐Lactones are one of the important fine chemical products, which are widely used in perfumery, medicine, pesticide, dye and other fields. Herein, a new method for γ‐lactones preparation based on ring contraction was developed. Starting with macrolides, W(OTf)6 was used to catalyze the ring‐opening polymerization then depolymerization. More remarka...

It is of great significance to convert platform molecules and their derivatives into high value-added alcohols which had multitudinous applications. We systematically studied the conversion of 2-methyl tetrahydrofuran (MTHF), which obtained from furfural, to 1-pentanol acetate (PA) and 1,4-pentandiol acetate (PDA) in this paper. The reaction parame...

[Cp*Ir-(di-OH-bpy)(OH2)] [SO4] (di-OH-bpy=4, 4'-dihydroxyl-2, 2'-bipyridine) exhibited high catalytic performance during the hydrogenation of D-glucose to D-sorbitol. Using formic acid as hydrogen source led to an unsatisfactory D-sorbitol selectivity. The ring-opening hydrogenation of glucose was efficiently achieved by hydrogen. Under optimal con...

Medium-chain fatty acids and their derivatives have important applications in the energy and chemical industries. Thus, we have prepared a series of medium-chain fatty acids by selective hydrodeoxygenation of the...

Deoxygenation is the central challenge in converting bio-derived fatty esters into diesel-range hydrocarbons. A new molybdenum oxide doping nickel phyllosilicate ([email protected]) bifunctional catalyst was synthesized and used for the deoxygenation of methyl palmitate. Compared to impregnated Ni catalysts, [email protected] catalysts showed obvio...

Direct hydrogenolysis of lactone to carboxylic acid (i.e., hydrogenolysis of Calkoxy-O bond with the carbonyl group untouched) is generally difficult, as the current strategies employing Brønsted acids as the catalyst usually request harsh conditions such as high temperature and high pressure of H2. Herein, we would like to report a developed solve...

In this paper, Cp*Ir (III) Complex and acid co-catalyst system was developed. By using Cp*Ir and γ-Al2O3 (Lewis acid), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) can be converted efficiently to 3-hydroxymethyl cyclopentanone (HCPN). Meanwhile, Cp*Ir and Brønsted acid can promote conversion of 5-HMF to 1-Hydroxy-2,5-hexanedione (HHD). The effect of Lewis acid...

Semi-sandwich Ir complexes [Cp*Ir-(di-OMe-bpy)(OH2)][SO4] (di-OMe-bpy = 4,4'-dimethoxyl-2,2'-bipyridine) and [Cp*Ir-(di-OH-bpy)(OH2)][SO4] (di-OH-bpy = 4,4'-dihydroxyl-2,2'-bipyridine) are excellent efficient catalysts for the aqueous hydrogenation reactions of biomass carbohydrate derivatives. We show that pH value plays an important role in the h...

The highly selective hydrogenation/hydrolytic ring-opening reaction of 5-hydroxymethylfuraldehyde (5-HMF) was catalyzed by homogeneous Cp*Ir(III) half-sandwich complexes to produce 1-hydroxy-2,5-hexanedione (HHD). Adjustment of pH was found to regulate the distribution of products and reaction selectivity, and full conversion of 5-HMF to HHD with 9...

Replacing petroleum feedstocks by sustainable resources requires new and efficient methods to convert simple biomass-derived compounds to functionally useful and versatile chemicals. We discovered a new path for potential industrial-scale conversion of glycerol, a voluminously available byproduct from worldwide biodiesel production, to 5- and 4-hyd...

Biomass glycerol is an important raw material for many available chemicals, such as 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO). Hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-PDO is considered as a sustainable process with renewable potential application. In this paper, a series of bimetallic PdCu-KF/γ-Al2O3 were prepared and the structures of catalysts were characterized by XR...

Using a metal triflate and Pd/C as catalysts, alkanes were prepared from bioderived furans in a one-pot hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) process. During the reaction, the metal triflate plays a crucial role in the ring-opening HDO of furan compounds. The entire reaction process has goes through two major phases: at low temperatures, saturation of the exocy...

A remarkably effective method of chemoselective dehydrogenation of alcohols in lignin has been developed with an iridium catalyst. An additional operation of Zn/NH4Cl via a two-step one pot process could further promote the cleavage of the C–O bond in β-O-4 units in lignin. And this reaction system was also applicable to native lignin as the molecu...

Chemical conversion of biomass to value-added products provides a sustainable alternative to the current chemical industry that is predominantly dependent on fossil fuels. N-Heterocycles, including pyrroles, pyridines, and indoles, etc., are the most abundant and important classes of heterocycles in nature and widely applied as pharmaceuticals, agr...

Levulinic acid (LA) is one of the most significant cellulose-derived compounds. γ-Valerolactone (GVL) and 1,4-Pentanediol (1,4-PDO) are considered to be the important chemical intermediates. Direct conversion of LA to GVL and GVL to 1,4-PDO were achieved via chemoselective hydrogenation by supported copper catalysts. LA was converted to GVL catalyz...

Furfural is a biomass-based bulk chemical and its derivatives have potential applications as renewable fuels and chemicals. A water-tolerant and stable solid acid catalyst modified hydrated tantalum oxide (TA-p) was developed for catalytic conversion of D-xylose to furfural in water-organic solvent biphasic system. This process was performed both i...

In this study, the renewable pyridines can be directly produced from glycerol and ammonia via thermo-catalytic conversion process with zeolites. The major factors, including catalyst, temperature, weight hourly space velocity of glycerol to catalyst (WHSV), the molar ratio of ammonia to glycerol, which may affect the pyridines production, were inve...

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is considered to be a promising replacement for terephthalic acid since they share similar structures and properties. In contrast to FDCA, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid methyl (FDCAM) has properties that allow it to be easily purified. In this work, we reported an oxidative esterification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (H...

Cu-Co catalysts, prepared by co-precipitation method (CP) and oxalate sol-gel method (OG), can selectively convert furfural (FFA) to cyclopentanone (CPO) and cyclopentanol (CPL), respectively. The conversion of FFA to CPO and CPL by Cu-Co catalysts was studied in aqueous solution. We found that product distribution was influenced by different catal...

Glutamic acid was transformed into succinimide in a two step procedure involving a dehydration in water to pyroglutamic acid followed by an oxidative decarboxylation using a silver catalyst.

A variety of Lewis acids have been examined for the transformation of glucose and fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in ionic liquids (ILs). SnCl(n) and CrCl(n) are effective catalysts for the isomerization, and Lewis acids with strong acidity can facilitate the dehydration of fructose. The influence of ILs structure, including the lengt...

Recently, much attention has been paid to the development of technologies that facilitate the conversion of biomass into platform chemicals such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). In this paper, a tin-containing silica molecular sieve (Sn-MCM-41) was found to act as a bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst for the efficient conversion of glucose into...

The development of the catalytic conversion of biomass-based platform molecules into oxygenated fuel molecules is of great significance in order to reduce the dependence on fossil resources and to solve environmental problems. Alkyl valerate esters were proven to have the potential to be renewable additives of gasoline and diesel. In this work, we...

Mild-mannered manipulation: A catalytic method for the conversion of carbohydrate biomass to γ-valerolactone in acidic aqueous media has been developed. The water-soluble iridium complexes were observed to be extremely catalytically active for providing γ-valerolactone in high yields with high TONs. The homogeneous catalysts can also be recycled an...

A method for preparing hydroxymethylfurfural, which includes: a) mixing and dissolving triose or its derivatives and solvent 1 to obtain the first reaction mixture; b) reacting the obtained first reaction mixture with Alkaline Catalyst 1 to condense into hexose; c) mixing and dissolving the resulting hexose and solvent 2 to obtain the second reacti...

Formose reaction converts formaldehyde to carbohydrates. We found that formose reaction can be used linking the biomass gasification with the aqueous-phase processing (APP) to produce liquid transportation fuel in three steps. First, formaldehyde from syn-gas was converted to triose. This was followed by aldol condensation and dehydration to 4-hydr...

Supplementary Information

One divided into two combined into one: The catalytic conversion of furfural into a 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid-based polyester, linked by the disproportionation of furoate to furan and 2,5-furandicarboxylate, is reported. In this manner, all carbons are utilized, demonstrating the success of combining a platform molecule from C(5) sugars (furfural)...

We have demonstrated an efficient, selective and environmentally benign heterogeneous catalyst (K-OMS-2) for aerobic oxidation of 5-HMF to 2,5-DFF. In addition, a combination of Fe3O4-SBA-SO3H and K-OMS-2 successfully catalyzed direct synthesis of 2,5-DFF from fructose via acid-catalyzed dehydration and successive aerobic oxidation in one-pot react...

Depleting oil reserves and growing environmental concerns have necessitated the development of sustainable processes to fuels and chemicals. Here we have developed a general metabolic platform in E. coli to biosynthesize carboxylic acids. By engineering selectivity of 2-ketoacid decarboxylases and screening for promiscuous aldehyde dehydrogenases,...

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A protocol for the copper-catalyzed C-S bond formation between aryl, alkyl, or heteroaryl thiols and aryl or heteroaryl halides is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by Cu2O which shows the highest catalytic activity with ethyl 2-oxocyclohexanecarboxylate ligand in DMSO at 80 degrees C. The corresponding coupling products are obtained with good to...