Methods of producing para-xylene and terephthalic acid
AssigneeMicromidas, Inc.
InventorsMakoto N. Masuno, Patrick B. Smith, Dennis A. Hucul, Katherine Brune, Ryan L. Smith, John A. Bissell, II, Dimitri Hirsch-Weil, Edmund J. Stark
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides methods to produce para-xylene, toluene, and other compounds from renewable sources (e.g., cellulose, hemicellulose, starch, sugar) and ethylene in the presence of a catalyst. For example, cellulose and/or hemicellulose may be converted into 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), which may be converted into para-xylene by cycloaddition of ethylene to DMF. Para-xylene can then be oxidized to form terephthalic acid.
Claims20
A method for producing para-xylene, comprising:
- combining 2,5-hexanedione with ethylene and a catalyst to form a reaction mixture, wherein the catalyst comprises a metal cation and a triflate counterion;
- and
- producing para-xylene from at least a portion of the 2,5-hexanedione and at least a portion of the ethylene in the reaction mixture.
A method for producing terephthalic acid, comprising:
- combining 2,5-hexanedione with ethylene and a catalyst to form a reaction mixture, wherein the catalyst comprises a metal cation and a triflate counterion;
- producing para-xylene from at least a portion of the 2,5-hexanedione and at least a portion of the ethylene in the reaction mixture;
- and
- oxidizing the para-xylene to produce terephthalic acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.