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Sustainable Synthesis of Trimethylolpropane, a Biobased Polyol from Renewable Resources by an Integrated Process of Biotechnology and Chemical Reactions

Sayed, Mahmoud LU orcid ; Elsabaa, Hossameldeen ; Han, Jian ; Choi, Jinsik ; Sayed, Waiel F. ; Salem, Wesam M. ; Temerk, Hanan A. ; Xu, Yong and Pyo, Sang-Hyun LU orcid (2025) In ACS Omega 10(29). p.32413-32423
Abstract
Trimethylolpropane (TMP) is an important industrial chemical used to produce various value-added chemicals and polymers. In this study, both biobased butyraldehyde and formaldehyde were produced by the incomplete oxidation of bio-1-butanol and biomethanol, respectively, and were then used to produce a biobased TMP. High selective incomplete oxidation of primary alcohol to aldehyde is a challenging process minimizing the corresponding carboxylic acid, a complete oxidation product. Guconobactor oxidans DSM 2343 was found to have high activity and selectivity for the oxidation of butanol to butyraldehyde by whole-cell biotransformation. A pH 5 and greater than 15 g/L of 1-butanol are preferable conditions for butyraldehyde accumulation. In a... (More)
Trimethylolpropane (TMP) is an important industrial chemical used to produce various value-added chemicals and polymers. In this study, both biobased butyraldehyde and formaldehyde were produced by the incomplete oxidation of bio-1-butanol and biomethanol, respectively, and were then used to produce a biobased TMP. High selective incomplete oxidation of primary alcohol to aldehyde is a challenging process minimizing the corresponding carboxylic acid, a complete oxidation product. Guconobactor oxidans DSM 2343 was found to have high activity and selectivity for the oxidation of butanol to butyraldehyde by whole-cell biotransformation. A pH 5 and greater than 15 g/L of 1-butanol are preferable conditions for butyraldehyde accumulation. In a 1 L bioreactor experiment, 18 g/L of bio-1-butanol was oxidized to 13 g/L of butyraldehyde at an 85% conversion and 93% selectivity. Biomethanol oxidation to formaldehyde was conducted at relatively high concentration using alcohol oxidase from Pichia pastoris. After 48 h of enzymatic reaction, a 52% conversion of 5.5 g/L biomethanol to 2.6 g/L formaldehyde at 100% selectivity without byproduct was achieved. Using the resulting butyraldehyde and formaldehyde, TMP could be produced through aldol and Cannizzaro reactions under basic conditions. The overall process shows a new synthetic route for TMP production that uses renewable resources and integrates both biotechnology and chemical processes. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
ACS Omega
volume
10
issue
29
pages
11 pages
publisher
The American Chemical Society (ACS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:40757349
  • scopus:105013186744
ISSN
2470-1343
DOI
10.1021/acsomega.5c04762
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5b90f743-1179-48f2-8ed2-8da90861824c
date added to LUP
2025-10-20 14:58:15
date last changed
2025-11-04 04:53:19
@article{5b90f743-1179-48f2-8ed2-8da90861824c,
  abstract     = {{Trimethylolpropane (TMP) is an important industrial chemical used to produce various value-added chemicals and polymers. In this study, both biobased butyraldehyde and formaldehyde were produced by the incomplete oxidation of bio-1-butanol and biomethanol, respectively, and were then used to produce a biobased TMP. High selective incomplete oxidation of primary alcohol to aldehyde is a challenging process minimizing the corresponding carboxylic acid, a complete oxidation product. Guconobactor oxidans DSM 2343 was found to have high activity and selectivity for the oxidation of butanol to butyraldehyde by whole-cell biotransformation. A pH 5 and greater than 15 g/L of 1-butanol are preferable conditions for butyraldehyde accumulation. In a 1 L bioreactor experiment, 18 g/L of bio-1-butanol was oxidized to 13 g/L of butyraldehyde at an 85% conversion and 93% selectivity. Biomethanol oxidation to formaldehyde was conducted at relatively high concentration using alcohol oxidase from Pichia pastoris. After 48 h of enzymatic reaction, a 52% conversion of 5.5 g/L biomethanol to 2.6 g/L formaldehyde at 100% selectivity without byproduct was achieved. Using the resulting butyraldehyde and formaldehyde, TMP could be produced through aldol and Cannizzaro reactions under basic conditions. The overall process shows a new synthetic route for TMP production that uses renewable resources and integrates both biotechnology and chemical processes.}},
  author       = {{Sayed, Mahmoud and Elsabaa, Hossameldeen and Han, Jian and Choi, Jinsik and Sayed, Waiel F. and Salem, Wesam M. and Temerk, Hanan A. and Xu, Yong and Pyo, Sang-Hyun}},
  issn         = {{2470-1343}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{29}},
  pages        = {{32413--32423}},
  publisher    = {{The American Chemical Society (ACS)}},
  series       = {{ACS Omega}},
  title        = {{Sustainable Synthesis of Trimethylolpropane, a Biobased Polyol from Renewable Resources by an Integrated Process of Biotechnology and Chemical Reactions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c04762}},
  doi          = {{10.1021/acsomega.5c04762}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}