Turn sugar into garment material

Researchers at Singapore's Institute of Biotechnology and Nanotechnology (IBN) have found a new chemical reaction that can directly convert sugar into adipic acid.

IBN Executive Director Professor Jackie Y Ying said growing environmental concerns related to the use of fossil fuels and the exploitation of natural resources and the need for energy Reinforced and recyclable, IBN has come up with a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for converting sugars into adipic acid via catalytic technology .

Adipic acid is an important chemical used in the manufacture of nylon fibers for clothing and other common everyday products such as carpets, rugs or bristles. Commercialally, adipic acid is produced from petroleum-derived chemicals through the oxidation of nitric acid, which discharges large amounts of nitrous oxide - a greenhouse gas that is the main cause of the phenomenon. global warming. Adipic acid can be synthesized from mucic acid, oxidized from sugar, and mucic acid can be extracted from fruit peels.

Current processes are either done in too many steps that result in low efficiency and productivity, or in challenging conditions with high pressure hydrogen and many types of strong, expensive and unsafe acids. IBN says the new chemical catalyst response they give is simple, effective and 'green'. Accordingly, they combine the dehydration and oxygen removal reactions with the hydrophobic reaction, plus a liquor solvent, in the reactor. The team obtained a large amount of adipic acid at a rate of 99% of the original material. Current methods can only achieve about 60% yield.

IBN says the new method is ideal for industrial development because this process can be carried out in a few steps, the final product is pure, and in mild and safe reaction conditions. Dr Zhang Yugen, IBN's lead researcher for green chemistry and energy, said that to improve this green technology, the group uses raw biomass as a raw material.