A new retrosynthesis platform enables users to work backwards from a target molecule to optimize synthesis pathways. MilliporeSigma’s (Burlington, Mass.; www.sigmaaldrich.com) Synthia software uses sophisticated algorithms backed by a database of over 72,000 coded reaction rules to provide precise pathways…
Researchers from RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia; www.rmit.edu.au) have demonstrated a “green” technique that can produce customized metal organic framework (MOF) compounds in minutes, harnessing the power of high-frequency (ultrasonic) sound waves. MOFs are extremely versatile materials that can be used…
PDH catalyst Last month, Clariant's Catalyst business (Munich, Germany; www.clariant.com) launched its latest propane dehydrogenation (PDH) catalyst, Catofin 311, which is said to deliver greater selectivity and a longer lifetime than its predecessors, resulting in increased overall profitability for propylene…
Lignin — a component making up 25–35% of woody biomass — is underutilized as a byproduct of biofuels production and paper-making processes. Because of its abundance, low-cost and sustainability, lignin is being investigated as a raw material for making higher-value…
In a paper published last month in Nature Energy, scientists from the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonie (ICIQ; Tarragona, Spain; www.iciq.org) describe how, for the first time, a magnet has been used to directly enhance the production of hydrogen…
Last month, a consortium of 11 European partners, including ArcelorMittal, Axens, IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) and Total, launched a project to demonstrate an innovative process called DMX for capturing CO2 from industrial activities. It is part of a more comprehensive…
Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing; www.cas.cn) and Yangzhou University (Jiangsu, China; www.yzu.edu.cn) have developed a technique for disinfecting water by using graphitic carbon nitride sheets. They claim their technique purifies water in 30 minutes, killing more than…
Eastman Chemical Co. (Kingsport, Tenn.; www.eastman.com) is ready to commercialize a new chemical-recycling technology that can handle a wide variety of mixed plastic waste, including plastic materials that cannot be handled by conventional recycling processes. “We are modifying the front…
Sulfur control Preferential Oxidation Catalysis — a new catalytic solution from Haldor Topsoe A/S (Lyngby, Denmark: www.topsoe.com) — has been industrially proven to effectively remove undesired hydrogen sulfide in lean off-gases from viscose production at a significantly lower cost than…
Aerobic oxidation of a biomass-derived substrate [5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural; HMF] in methanol and ethylene glycol produces monomers MFDC — the methyl ester of furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) — and HEFDC — the ethylene glycol ester of FDCA. These monomers are recognized as crucial…