Fats and Oils as Renewable Feedstock for the Chemical ... - abiosus

L3Utilization of fatty acid derivatives in the development ofbio-based chemicalsChristian V. StevensDepartment of Organic Chemistry - Center of Renewable Resources, Faculty ofBioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.E-mail: Chris.Stevens@UGent.beIn the last decade, renewable resources are getting more attention in view of their positiveeffects on the sustainability of processes, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions andthe opportunities to develop biofuels. Especially, the research and the production of bioethanoland biodiesel is the major topic when talking about renewables. However, theproduction of biomaterials and bio-based building blocks for the chemical industry, whichwill be the major challenge in the long run, is getting much less attention. Therefore, it isessential to invest in studying the production of bio-materials and building blocks for thefuture in a multidisciplinary way.The SynBioC (Synthesis and Bioresources Chemistry) group is recently engaged in theproduction of bio-based building blocks from castor oil. Undecenoic acid can be readilyobtained by a thermal treatment under vacuum of ricinoleic acid, which composes 85-95 %of the castor oil. Undecenoic acid has been dimerised by an acyloin condensation to apolyfunctional building block of which the reactivity and usefulness is now being evaluated.The C22-building block has been transformed into a C-20 tetrachlorodiacid which is usedas a building block for the synthesis of the aminopeptidase inhibitor Tyromycin A. Thesynthesis of the bio-based building blocks on route to Tyromycin A will be discussed.Further work in our group has been focused on the chemistry of inulin. Inulin, thepolydisperse reserve polysaccharide from chicory, has been modified by carbamoylationand esterification in organic solvents to develop a variety of modified inulin derivativesfrom which the interfacial and emulsion stabilizing properties were determined. Themedium and long chain acylated/carbamoylated inulin derivatives, with low degrees ofsubstitution (DS), showed a good to very good reduction of the interfacial tension whichmakes these biopolymers interesting in the field of biodegradable emulsifying agents.Inutec SP1 has been developed in collaboration with industry as a new and highperforming emulsifying agent for the cosmetic industry, as well as for the latex industry.12