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Heterogeneous Removal of Water-Soluble Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalyst from Aqueous Media Via Host-Guest Interaction
Published on: August 23, 2018
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Highly Efficient Ru-Based Catalysts for Lactic Acid Conversion to Alanine.
Iunia Podolean1, Mara Dogaru1, Nicolae Cristian Guzo1
1Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Catalysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta Av., 030018 Bucharest, Romania.
Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 9, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed efficient ruthenium catalysts for converting lactic acid (LA) into alanine (AL) via reductive amination. The Ru/MNP catalyst achieved a high alanine yield (74.0%), offering a promising, reusable solution.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis
- Green Chemistry
- Biomass Conversion
Background:
- Lactic acid (LA) is a key platform chemical derived from lignocellulosic biomass.
- Developing efficient catalysts for LA conversion is crucial for sustainable chemical production.
- Reductive amination offers a direct pathway to valuable amino acids like alanine (AL).
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and evaluate solid ruthenium-based catalysts for the direct conversion of LA to AL.
- To investigate the effect of different catalyst supports (MWCNTs, beta-zeolite, MNPs) on catalytic performance.
- To optimize reaction conditions for maximizing alanine yield.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of ruthenium catalysts supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), beta-zeolite (BEA), and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs).
- Characterization of synthesized catalysts using appropriate analytical techniques.
- Testing catalyst performance in the reductive amination of lactic acid to alanine at elevated temperatures (200 °C).
Main Results:
- The Ru/MNP catalyst exhibited the highest alanine yield (74.0%) at 200 °C, outperforming Ru/CNT (55.7%) and Ru/BEA (6.6%).
- Catalyst characterization indicated that highly dispersed ruthenium nanoparticles on the magnetic carrier enhanced dehydrogenation activity.
- The presence of -NH2 basic sites on the catalyst facilitated reactant adsorption and product formation.
Conclusions:
- Ruthenium catalysts supported on magnetic nanoparticles are highly effective for the direct conversion of lactic acid to alanine.
- The catalyst's structure, featuring dispersed metallic ruthenium and basic sites, is key to its high performance.
- The magnetic separability and reusability of the Ru/MNP catalyst make it a practical and sustainable option for industrial applications.
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