Table 2 Prioritized sugar-derived building blocks as listed by the US Department of Energy. Adapted from [62].
From: Potential and utilization of thermophiles and thermostable enzymes in biorefining
Building blocks | Carbons | Pathways | Derivatives | Direct uses or uses of derivatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1,4 diacids (succinic, fumaric, and malic) | 4 | Aerobic fermentation to overproduce C4 diacids from Krebs cycle patways | THF, 1,4-Butanediol, γ-butyrolactone, pyrrolidones, esters, diamines, 4,4-Bionelle, hydroxybutyric acid, unsaturated succinate derivatives, hydroxy succinate derivatives, hydroxybutyrolactone | Green solvents, Fibers (lycra, others), TBD, water soluble polymers |
2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid | 6 | Oxidative dehydration of C6 sugars (chemical) Enzymatic conversion? | Numerous furan derivatives, succinate, esters, levulinic acid, furanoic polyamines, polyethylene terephthalate analogs | Furanoic polysters (bottles, films containers) Polyamides (new nylons) |
3-hydroxypropionic acid | 3 | Aerobic fermentation | Acrylates, Acrylamides, esters, 1,3-propanediol, malonic acid, propionol, | Sorona fiber, contact lenses, diapers (super absorbent polymers) |
Aspartic acid | 4 | Conversion of oxaloacetate in the Krebs cycle via aerobic fermentation or enzymatic conversion | Amine butanediol, amine tetrahydrofuran, amine-butyrolactone, aspartic anhydride, polyaspartic, various substituted amino-diacids | Amino analogs of C4 1,4 dicarboxylic acids Pharma and sweetener intermediates |
Glucaric acid | 6 | One step nitric acid oxidation of starch (chemical) Aerobic fermentation | Dilactones, monolactones, polyglucaric esters and amides | Solvents, nylons of different properties |
Glutamic acid | 5 | Aerobic fermentation | Diols, amino diols, diacids, glutaric acid, substituted pyrrolidones | Monomers for polyesters and polyamides |
Itaconic acid | 5 | Aerobic fungal fermentation | Methyl butanediol, butyrolactone, tetrahydrofuran family, pyrrolidones, polyitaconic | Solvents, polymers (BDO, GBL, THF), nitrile latex |
Levulinic acid | 5 | Acid catalyzed decomposition of cellulosics and sugars Biotransformation? | δ-aminolevulinate, Methyl tetrahydrofuran, δ-butyrolactone, acetyl acrylates, acetic-acrylic succinic acids, diphenolic acid | Fuel oxygenates, solvents, polycarbonate synthesis |
3-hydroxybutyrolactone | 4 | Oxidative degradation of starch Biotransformation? | Hydroxybutyrates, epoxy-δ-butyrolactone, butenoic acid, furans, analogs for pyrrolidones | High value pharma compounds, solvents, amino analogs to lycra fibers |
Glycerol | 5 | Enzymatic or chemical transesterification of oils | Fermentation products, propylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, diacids, propylalcohol, dialdehyde, epoxides, glyceric acids, branched polysters and polyols | Personal/oral care products, pharmaceuticals, foods/beverages, polyether polyols, antifreeze, humectant |
Sorbitol | 6 | Hydrogenation of glucose (chemical) Aerobic fermentation or biotransformation | Ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, lactic acid, isosorbide, branched polysaccharides | Polyethylene isosorbide, terephthalates (bottles), antifreeze, PLA (polylactic acid), water soluble polymers |
Xylitol/arabinitol | 5 | Aerobic or anaerobic fermentations or enzymatic conversions of lignocellulose | Ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, lactic acid, hydroxy furans, xylaric acid, polyols | Non-nutritive sweeteners, anhydrosugars, unsaturated polyster resins, antifreeze |