Turpentine valorization by its oxyfunctionalization to nopol through heterogeneous catalysis

Area of Science:

• Green Chemistry
• Catalysis
• Organic Synthesis

Background:

• Turpentine, a paper industry by-product, is rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons like alpha- and beta-pinene.
• Nopol, a key fragrance raw material and household product, can be synthesized from turpentine components.
• Efficient and sustainable synthesis routes are crucial for utilizing industrial by-products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a selective oxyfunctionalization process for converting beta-pinene in crude turpentine to nopol.
• To optimize reaction conditions using a Sn-MCM-41 catalyst for enhanced efficiency and sustainability.
• To evaluate the catalyst's reusability and the process's reduced environmental footprint.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of Sn-MCM-41 catalyst using XRD, N2 adsorption, FT-IR, and TEM.
• Oxyfunctionalization reaction of crude turpentine oil in a 2 mL glass reactor and scaled up to a 100 mL Parr reactor.
• Analysis of reaction products to determine beta-pinene conversion and nopol selectivity.

Main Results:

• Achieved 92% conversion of beta-pinene and 93% selectivity for nopol using crude turpentine.
• Demonstrated catalyst reusability for at least 4 cycles without significant loss of activity.
• Identified process improvements: 86% less solvent and 37.5% less paraformaldehyde required compared to using pure beta-pinene.

Conclusions:

• The Sn-MCM-41 catalyst enables efficient and selective synthesis of nopol from crude turpentine.
• The developed process offers significant environmental benefits by reducing solvent and formaldehyde consumption.
• This method provides a sustainable pathway for valorizing turpentine by-products into high-value chemicals.