Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis of Glucose to Lactic Acid and Lactates: A Review

The current societal demand to replace polymers derived from petroleum with sustainable bioplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) has motivated industry to commercialize ever-larger facilities for biobased monomers like lactic acid. Even though most of the lactic acid is produced by fermentation, long reaction times and high capital costs compromise the economics and thus limit the appeal of biotechnological processes. Catalytic conversion of hexose from biomass is a burgeoning alternative to fermentation. Here we identify catalysts to convert glucose to lactic acid, along with their proposed mechanisms. High Lewis acidity makes erbium salts among the most active homogeneous catalysts, while solvent coordination with the metal species polarize the substrate, increasing the catalytic activity. For heterogeneous catalysts, Sn-containing bimetallic systems combine the high Lewis acidity of Sn while moderating it with another metal, thus decreasing byproducts. Hierarchical bimetallic Sn-Beta zeolites combine a high number of open sites catalyzing glucose isomerization in the mesoporous regions and the confinement effect assisting fructose retro-aldol in microporous regions, yielding up to 67% lactic acid from glucose. Loss of activity is still an issue for heterogeneous catalysts, mostly due to solvent adsorption on the active sites, coke formation, and metal leaching, which impedes its large scale adoption.