Systems and methods for the depolymerization of a biopolymer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059650-B2
Application number	US-201414897306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Methods for the production and isolation of a monomer from corn lignin are also described. The method includes extracting corn lignin from corn biomass and depolymerizing the corn lignin into a monomer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a monomer from a biopolymer source, the method comprising depolymerizing at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source into a monomer within a system comprising at least one solvent and a porous metal oxide (PMO) catalyst, wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 220° C.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises the step of fractionating the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one biopolymer is lignin.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PMO catalyst comprises at least one divalent metal cation and at least one trivalent metal cation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one divalent metal cation is selected from the group consisting of copper(II), magnesium(II), manganese(II), and zinc(II) and the at least one trivalent metal cation is selected from the group consisting of aluminum(III), chromium(III), and lanthanum(III).

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the molar ratio of total divalent metal cations to total trivalent metal cations is about 3:1.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is pressurized by the addition of a gas to the system.

9. A method for producing a monomer from corn biomass, the method comprising depolymerizing corn lignin from the corn biomass into a phloretic acid derivative within a system comprising at least one solvent and a porous metal oxide (PMO) catalyst; wherein the system is heated to a temperature from about 120° C. to about 200° C.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one solvent is methanol.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the PMO catalyst is supported on a catalyst support selected from the group consisting of alumina, basic aluminum oxide, barium sulfate, carbon, calcium carbonate, silica, titania, zirconia, and any combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the PMO catalyst has a catalyst loading from about 0.05 weight percent to about 60 weight percent.

Assignees

• Univ Yale

Inventors

• Barta Katalin
• Anastas Paul
• Beach Evan
• Hansen Thomas
• Warner Genoa
• Foley Patrick

Classifications

• C07C59/215

  containing singly bound oxygen containing groups · CPC title

• B01J21/10

  Magnesium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof · CPC title

• B01J23/10

  of rare earths · CPC title

• C07C59/52

  a hydroxy or O-metal group being bound to a carbon atom of a six-membered aromatic ring · CPC title

• B01J23/34

  Manganese · CPC title