Metathesis as a versatile tool in oleochemistry

Polymers from Plant Oils Linked by Siloxane Bonds for Programmed Depolymerization

The increased production of plastics is leading to the accumulation of plastic waste and depletion of limited fossil fuel resources. In this context, we report a strategy to create polymers that can undergo controlled depolymerization by linking renewable feedstocks with siloxane bonds. α,ω-Diesters and α,ω-diols containing siloxane bonds were synthesized from an alkenoic ester derived from castor oil and then polymerized with varied monomers, including related biobased monomers. In addition, cyclic monomers derived from this alkenoic ester and hydrosiloxanes were prepared and cyclized to form a 26-membered macrolactone containing a siloxane unit. Sequential ring-opening polymerization of this macrolactone and lactide afforded an ABA triblock copolymer. This set of polymers containing siloxanes underwent programmed depolymerization into monomers in protic solvents or with hexamethyldisiloxane and an acid catalyst. Monomers afforded by the depolymerization of polyesters containing siloxane linkages were repolymerized to demonstrate circularity in select polymers. Evaluation of the environmental stability of these polymers toward enzymatic degradation showed that they undergo enzymatic hydrolysis by a fungal cutinase from Fusarium solani. Evaluation of soil microbial metabolism of monomers selectively labeled with 13C revealed differential metabolism of the main chain and side chain organic groups by soil microbes.

De Novo Biosynthesis of Free Vaccenic Acid with a Low Content of Oleic Acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Omega-7 (ω-7) fatty acids have potential application in the fields of nutraceutical, agricultural, and food industry. The natural ω-7 fatty acids are currently from plants or vegetable oils, which are unsustainable and limited by the availability of plant sources. Here, we developed an innovative biosynthetic route to produce vaccenic acid (C18:1 ω-7) while minimizing oleic acid (C18:1 ω-9) content in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We have engineered S. cerevisiaeto produce C18:1 ω-7 by expressing a fatty acid elongase from Rattus norvegicus. To reduce the content of C18:1 ω-9, the endogenous desaturase Ole1 was replaced by the desaturase, which has specific activity on palmitoyl-coenzyme A (C16:0-CoA). Finally, the production of free C18:1 ω-7 was improved by optimizing the source of cytochrome b5 and overexpressing endoplasmic reticulum chaperones. After combining these strategies, the yield of C18:1 ω-7 was increased from 0 to 9.3 mg/g DCW and C18:1 ω-9 was decreased from 25.2 mg/g DCW to 1.6 mg/g DCW. This work shows a de novo synthetic pathway to produce the highest amount of free C18:1 ω-7 with a low content of C18:1 ω-9 in S. cerevisiae.

A Single Functionalization Agent for Heterotelechelic ROMP Polymers

Heterotelechelic polymers are an important class of materials finding applications in bioconjugation, imaging, sensing, and synthesis of organic/inorganic hybrid systems with interesting features. However, the synthesis of such polymers is challenging. Here, we report a mechanistically unique and most efficient method based on a single functionalization agent to prepare heterotelechelic polymers by a ring-opening metathesis polymerization. Different functionalization agents can be synthesized in one simple step from inexpensive commercial starting materials. The functionalization agents initially generate a functional initiator from commercial Grubbs' first-generation ruthenium benzylidene catalyst. During this process, a functional dihydrofuran derivative is produced. After functional initiation and propagation of a suitable monomer, the dihydrofuran derivative functionally terminates the polymerization yielding a primary alcohol-terminated heterotelechelic polymer. Molecular weight control is achieved by varying the ratio between monomer and Grubbs' first-generation catalyst. This method may emerge as a popular choice to prepare heterotelechelic polymers due to its simplicity and efficiency.

Producing high value unsaturated fatty acid by whole-cell catalysis using microalga: A case study with Tribonema minus

High value unsaturated fatty acids can be produced by de novo synthesis in microalgal cells, especially via heterotrophic cultivation. Unfortunately, the lipid accumulation of heterotrophic microalgae cannot be improved efficiently in conventional ways. Here we reported heterotrophic Tribonema minus, a promising resource for the production of palmitoleic acid which has increasing demands in health service for patients with metabolic syndrome, as whole-cell biocatalyst to develop a novel way of shifting low value exogenous saturated fatty acids to high value ones. Results showed that myristic acid is the best precursor for whole-cell catalysis; it elevated the lipid content of T. minus to 42.2%, the highest among the tried precursors. The influences of cultivation condition on the utilization of extrinsic myristic acid and lipid accumulation were also determined. Under the optimized condition, the lipid content reached as high as 48.9%. In addition, our findings showed that ~13.0% of C16:1 in T. minus is derived from extrinsic myristic acid, and 30.1% of metabolized precursor is converted into heterologous fatty acids. Thus, a feasible approach for both increasing the value of low value saturated fatty acid by bioconversion and enhancing the lipid accumulation in microalgae is proposed by supplementing extrinsic myristic acid.

One-Pot Heterotelechelic Metathesis Polymers via Regioselective Chain Transfer Agents

Single chain transfer agents are used to synthesize narrowly distributed heterotelechelic ROMP polymers in one pot, exploiting a new mechanistic and synthetic approach. The chain transfer agents carrying different functional groups are synthesized in a few straightforward steps. Prefunctionalization of commercially available Grubbs' third-generation catalyst is realized in situ using regioselective chain transfer agents within a short reaction period. After monomer consumption, the excess chain transfer agent in the reaction medium automatically end-functionalizes the polymer chain, yielding a heterotelechelic polymer via a ring-opening-ring-closing sequence. ¹H NMR, MALDI-ToF, and SEC analyses confirmed end-group functionalization as well as excellent control over molecular weight and dispersity. This strategy highlights a new way of synthesizing one-pot heterotelechelic ROMP polymers straightforwardly and efficiently.

Plant monounsaturated fatty acids: Diversity, biosynthesis, functions and uses

Monounsaturated fatty acids are straight-chain aliphatic monocarboxylic acids comprising a unique carbon‑carbon double bond, also termed unsaturation. More than 50 distinct molecular structures have been described in the plant kingdom, and more remain to be discovered. The evolution of land plants has apparently resulted in the convergent evolution of non-homologous enzymes catalyzing the dehydrogenation of saturated acyl chain substrates in a chemo-, regio- and stereoselective manner. Contrasted enzymatic characteristics and different subcellular localizations of these desaturases account for the diversity of existing fatty acid structures. Interestingly, the location and geometrical configuration of the unsaturation confer specific characteristics to these molecules found in a variety of membrane, storage, and surface lipids. An ongoing research effort aimed at exploring the links existing between fatty acid structures and their biological functions has already unraveled the importance of several monounsaturated fatty acids in various physiological and developmental contexts. What is more, the monounsaturated acyl chains found in the oils of seeds and fruits are widely and increasingly used in the food and chemical industries due to the physicochemical properties inherent in their structures. Breeders and plant biotechnologists therefore develop new crops with high monounsaturated contents for various agro-industrial purposes.

Sustainability in Ru- and Pd-based catalytic systems using N-heterocyclic carbenes as ligands

This review is a critical presentation of catalysts based on palladium and ruthenium bearing N-heterocyclic carbene ligands that have enabled a more sustainable approach to catalysis and to catalyst uses.

Precision Aliphatic Polyesters via Cross-Metathesis Polymerization

Cross-metathesis (CM), a carbon-carbon bond transformation that features exceptional selectivity, reactivity and tolerance to functionalities, has been extensively investigated in organic chemistry. On the other hand, the use of CM in polymer synthesis is also growing in both scope and breadth, thus offering a wealth of opportunities for introducing a vast range of functionalities into polymer backbone so as to manipulate properties and expand applications. In this review, we propose the concept of "cross-metathesis polymerization" (CMP) referring to polymer synthesis via repetitive CM reaction and summarize emerging strategies for the precision synthesis of aliphatic polyesters via CMP based on the high CM tendency between acrylates and α- olefins. Due to the carbon-carbon bond-forming step-growth polymerization nature, CMP brings a new concept to polyester synthesis. This remarkable polymerization method possesses unique advantages such as mild condition, full conversion, fast kinetics, almost quantitative yield and extraordinary tolerance to functionalities. In particular, CMP provides the ability to regulate macromolecular architectures including linear, block, cyclic, star, graft, dendron, hyperbranched and dendrimer topologies. Ultimately, advanced polymeric materials with outstanding performances can be facially constructed based on these sophisticated macromolecular architectures.

Comparison of Lipid and Palmitoleic Acid Induction of Tribonema minus under Heterotrophic and Phototrophic Regimes by Using High-Density Fermented Seeds

Palmitoleic acid, one scarce omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid, has important applications in the fields of medicine and health products. Tribonema has been considered as a promising candidate for the production of palmitoleic acid due to its high lipid and palmitoleic acid content and remarkable heterotrophic ability. The high-density heterotrophic cultivation of Tribonema minus was conducted in this work, and the highest biomass of 42.9 g L⁻¹ and a relatively low lipid content of 28.7% were observed. To further enhance the lipid and palmitoleic acid accumulation, induction strategies under two regimes of phototrophy and heterotrophy with different conditions were investigated and compared. Results demonstrated encouraging promotions both by heterotrophic and phototrophic ways, and the final lipid contents reached 41.9% and 49.0%, respectively. In consideration of the time cost, however, the induction under heterotrophic conditions was much more advantageous, by which the highest lipid and palmitoleic acid productivities of 1.77 g L⁻¹ d⁻¹ and 924 mg L⁻¹ d⁻¹ were obtained respectively, with the lipid yield on glucose of 0.26 g g⁻¹.

Looking for the Noncyclic(amino)(alkyl)carbene Ruthenium Catalyst for Ethenolysis of Ethyl Oleate: Selectivity Is on Target

A wide set of 65 diverse Ru metathesis catalysts was investigated in the ethenolysis reaction of biosourced ethyl oleate to allow the comparison between the catalyst structure and its activity and selectivity. Handling of the oleic substrate, weighing of the catalysts, and charging the reactor were done in air, with exclusion of a glovebox or Schlenk techniques. A catalyst bearing the unsymmetrical N-heterocyclic ligand featuring a thiophene fragment (Ru-63) was selected to offer the best combination between high selectivity and sufficient activity under conditions mimicking oil industry practice. A proof-of-concept large-scale ethenolysis experiment was also done with the selected catalyst to prove its high selectivity at the 1 L scale reaction with a 90% pure non-distilled substrate.

Overexpression of MYB115, AAD2, or AAD3 in Arabidopsis thaliana seeds yields contrasting omega-7 contents

Omega-7 monoenoic fatty acids (ω-7 FAs) are increasingly exploited both for their positive effects on health and for their industrial potential. Some plant species produce fruits or seeds with high amounts of ω-7 FAs. However, the low yields and poor agronomic properties of these plants preclude their commercial use. As an alternative, the metabolic engineering of oilseed crops for sustainable ω-7 FA production has been proposed. Two palmitoyl-ACP desaturases (PADs) catalyzing ω-7 FA biosynthesis were recently identified and characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, together with MYB115 and MYB118, two transcription factors that positively control the expression of the corresponding PAD genes. In the present research, we examine the biotechnological potential of these new actors of ω-7 metabolism for the metabolic engineering of plant-based production of ω-7 FAs. We placed the PAD and MYB115 coding sequences under the control of a promoter strongly induced in seeds and evaluated these different constructs in A. thaliana. Seeds were obtained that exhibit ω-7 FA contents ranging from 10 to >50% of the total FAs, and these major compositional changes have no detrimental effect on seed germination.

Amines as effective ligands in iridium-catalyzed decarbonylative dehydration of biosourced substrates

Linear α-olefins (LAOs) and linear internal olefins (LIOs) are essential intermediates in the synthesis of surfactants, lubricants, and polymers.

Bleaching Earths as Powerful Additives for Ru-Catalyzed Self-Metathesis of Non-Refined Methyl Oleate at Pilot Scale

A practical and cost-effective ruthenium-catalyzed self-metathesis of non-refined methyl oleate (85 %) derived from very high oleic sunflower oils was demonstrated at pilot scale using a robust and kg-scale commercially available SIPr-M71 pre-catalyst. The simple addition of 1 wt % bleaching earths (Tonsil 110FF) to a thermally pretreated oil could efficiently prevent catalyst deactivation. Remarkably, without the need for filtration, the catalytic system was able to achieve a turnover number (TON) of more than 744 000 at a catalyst loading of only 1 ppm. At large scale (up to 200 kg), the equilibrium of the self-metathesis reaction was reached within 1 hour at 50 °C under neat conditions at a very low 5 ppm catalyst loading to produce the expected primary metathesis products (PMP), that is, 9-octadecene and dimethyl-9-octadecenoate, with a productive TON of 94900.

Heterotrophy of filamentous oleaginous microalgae Tribonema minus for potential production of lipid and palmitoleic acid

Heterotrophic fermentation and high valuable co-product producing are thought to be effective ways to improve the economic viability and feasibility of commercial production of microalgae biofuels. This work reported the heterotrophic cultivation of Tribonema minus for lipid and palmitoleic acid (a novel functional fatty acid) production. Firstly, the heterotrophic ability of T. minus was identified for the first time with significant promotion in biomass and lipid productivity, and glucose and urea were then selected as the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources. Moreover, nutrient concentrations and culture conditions were optimized. Highest biomass and lipid productivity of 30.8gL^-1 and 730mgL^-1d^-1 were obtained respectively by adding 80gL^-1 glucose at once. In addition, 2gL^-1 urea, 0.8gL^-1 K₂HPO₄, 24mgL^-1 ammonium ferric citrate, initial pH of 6, and temperature of 27°C were determined as the appropriate conditions for heterotrophic growth and lipid production.

Single cell oil production by Trichosporon cutaneum from steam-exploded corn stover and its upgradation for production of long-chain α,ω-dicarboxylic acids

BACKGROUND

Single cell oil (SCO) production from lignocelluloses by oleaginous microorganisms is still high in production cost, making the subsequent production of biofuels inviable economically in such an era of low oil prices. Therefore, how to upgrade the final products of lignocellulose-based bioprocess to more valuable ones is becoming a more and more important issue.

RESULTS

Differently sourced cellulases were compared in the enzymatic hydrolysis of the steam-exploded corn stover (SECS) and the cellulase from the mixed culture of Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger was found to have the highest enzymatic hydrolysis yield 86.67 ± 4.06%. Three-stage enzymatic hydrolysis could greatly improve the efficiency of the enzymatic hydrolysis of SECS, achieving a yield of 74.24 ± 2.69% within 30 h. Different bioprocesses from SECS to SCO were compared and the bioprocess C with the three-stage enzymatic hydrolysis was the most efficient, producing 57.15 g dry cell biomass containing 31.80 g SCO from 327.63 g SECS. An efficient and comprehensive process from corn stover to long-chain α,ω-dicarboxylic acids (DCAs) was established by employing self-metathesis, capable of producing 6.02 g long-chain DCAs from 409.54 g corn stover and 6.02 g alkenes as byproducts.

CONCLUSIONS

On-site cellulase production by the mixed culture of T. reesei and A. niger is proven the most efficient in providing cellulase to the lignocellulose-based bioprocess. Three-stage enzymatic hydrolysis was found to have very good application value in SCO production by Trichosporon cutaneum from SECS. A whole process from corn stover to long-chain DCAs via a combination of biological and chemical approaches was successfully established and it is an enlightening example of the comprehensive utilization of agricultural wastes.

Olefin cross metathesis and ring-closing metathesis in polymer chemistry

The use of olefin cross metathesis in preparing functional polymers, through either pre-functionalisation of monomers or post-polymerisation functionalisation is growing in both scope and breadth, as discussed in this review article.

Genetic enhancement of palmitic acid accumulation in cotton seed oil through RNAi down-regulation of ghKAS2 encoding β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase II (KASII)

Palmitic acid (C16:0) already makes up approximately 25% of the total fatty acids in the conventional cotton seed oil. However, further enhancements in palmitic acid content at the expense of the predominant unsaturated fatty acids would provide increased oxidative stability of cotton seed oil and also impart the high melting point required for making margarine, shortening and confectionary products free of trans fatty acids. Seed-specific RNAi-mediated down-regulation of β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase II (KASII) catalysing the elongation of palmitoyl-ACP to stearoyl-ACP has succeeded in dramatically increasing the C16 fatty acid content of cotton seed oil to well beyond its natural limits, reaching up to 65% of total fatty acids. The elevated C16 levels were comprised of predominantly palmitic acid (C16:0, 51%) and to a lesser extent palmitoleic acid (C16:1, 11%) and hexadecadienoic acid (C16:2, 3%), and were stably inherited. Despite of the dramatic alteration of fatty acid composition and a slight yet significant reduction in oil content in these high-palmitic (HP) lines, seed germination remained unaffected. Regiochemical analysis of triacylglycerols (TAG) showed that the increased levels of palmitic acid mainly occurred at the outer positions, while C16:1 and C16:2 were predominantly found in the sn-2 position in both TAG and phosphatidylcholine. Crossing the HP line with previously created high-oleic (HO) and high-stearic (HS) genotypes demonstrated that HP and HO traits could be achieved simultaneously; however, elevation of stearic acid was hindered in the presence of high level of palmitic acid.

Fishing for the right catalyst for the cross-metathesis reaction of methyl oleate with 2-methyl-2-butene

A comparison of the reactivity of different ruthenium-based complexes in the cross-metathesis reaction of methyl oleate was presented.

Synthetic redesign of plant lipid metabolism

Plant seed lipid metabolism is an area of intensive research, including many examples of transgenic events in which oil composition has been modified. In the selected examples described in this review, progress towards the predictive manipulation of metabolism and the reconstitution of desired traits in a non-native host is considered. The advantages of a particular oilseed crop, Camelina sativa, as a flexible and utilitarian chassis for advanced metabolic engineering and applied synthetic biology are considered, as are the issues that still represent gaps in our ability to predictably alter plant lipid biosynthesis. Opportunities to deliver useful bio-based products via transgenic plants are described, some of which represent the most complex genetic engineering in plants to date. Future prospects are considered, with a focus on the desire to transition to more (computationally) directed manipulations of metabolism.

Recent progress in the development of solid catalysts for biomass conversion into high value-added chemicals

In recent decades, the substitution of non-renewable fossil resources by renewable biomass as a sustainable feedstock has been extensively investigated for the manufacture of high value-added products such as biofuels, commodity chemicals, and new bio-based materials such as bioplastics. Numerous solid catalyst systems for the effective conversion of biomass feedstocks into value-added chemicals and fuels have been developed. Solid catalysts are classified into four main groups with respect to their structures and substrate activation properties: (a) micro- and mesoporous materials, (b) metal oxides, (c) supported metal catalysts, and (d) sulfonated polymers. This review article focuses on the activation of substrates and/or reagents on the basis of groups (a)-(d), and the corresponding reaction mechanisms. In addition, recent progress in chemocatalytic processes for the production of five industrially important products (5-hydroxymethylfurfural, lactic acid, glyceraldehyde, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, and furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid) as bio-based plastic monomers and their intermediates is comprehensively summarized.

Catalytic decarbonylation of biosourced substrates

Linear α-olefins (LAO) are one of the main targets in the field of surfactants, lubricants, and polymers. With the depletion of petroleum resources, the production of LAO from renewable feedstocks has gained increasing interest in recent years. In the present study, we demonstrated that Ir catalysts were suitable to decarbonylate a wide range of biosourced substrates under rather mild conditions (160 °C, 5 h reaction time) in the presence of potassium iodide and acetic anhydride. The resulting LAO were obtained with good conversion and selectivity provided that the purity of the substrate, the nature of the ligand, and the amounts of the additives were controlled accurately. The catalytic system could be recovered efficiently by using a Kugelrohr distillation apparatus and recycled.

Redirection of metabolic flux for high levels of omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid accumulation in camelina seeds

Seed oils enriched in omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acids, including palmitoleic acid (16:1∆9) and cis-vaccenic acid (18:1∆11), have nutraceutical and industrial value for polyethylene production and biofuels. Existing oilseed crops accumulate only small amounts (<2%) of these novel fatty acids in their seed oils. We demonstrate a strategy for enhanced production of omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acids in camelina (Camelina sativa) and soybean (Glycine max) that is dependent on redirection of metabolic flux from the typical ∆9 desaturation of stearoyl (18:0)-acyl carrier protein (ACP) to ∆9 desaturation of palmitoyl (16:0)-acyl carrier protein (ACP) and coenzyme A (CoA). This was achieved by seed-specific co-expression of a mutant ∆9-acyl-ACP and an acyl-CoA desaturase with high specificity for 16:0-ACP and CoA substrates, respectively. This strategy was most effective in camelina where seed oils with ~17% omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acids were obtained. Further increases in omega-7 fatty acid accumulation to 60-65% of the total fatty acids in camelina seeds were achieved by inclusion of seed-specific suppression of 3-keto-acyl-ACP synthase II and the FatB 16:0-ACP thioesterase genes to increase substrate pool sizes of 16:0-ACP for the ∆9-acyl-ACP desaturase and by blocking C18 fatty acid elongation. Seeds from these lines also had total saturated fatty acids reduced to ~5% of the seed oil versus ~12% in seeds of nontransformed plants. Consistent with accumulation of triacylglycerol species with shorter fatty acid chain lengths and increased monounsaturation, seed oils from engineered lines had marked shifts in thermotropic properties that may be of value for biofuel applications.

Engineered elastomeric bio-nanocomposites from linseed oil/organoclay tailored for vibration damping

This study deals with the preparation and characterization of elastomeric nanocomposites from renewable resources for vibration damping applications.