Status of Biocatalysis in the Production of 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid

Tailored Metal-Based Catalysts: A New Platform for Targeted Anticancer Therapies

Innovative strategies for targeted anticancer therapies have gained significant momentum, with metal complexes emerging as tunable catalysts for more effective and safer treatments. Rational design and engineering of metal complexes enable the development of tailored molecular structures optimized for precision oncology. The strategic incorporation of metal complex catalysts within combinatorial therapies amplifies their anticancer properties. This perspective highlights the advancements in synthetic strategies and rational design since 2019, showing how tailored metal catalysts are optimized by designing structures to release or in situ synthesize active drugs, leveraging the target-specific characteristics to develop more precise cancer therapies. This review explores metal-based catalysts, including those conjugated with biomolecules, nanostructures, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), highlighting their catalytic activity in biological environments and their in vitro/in vivo performance. To sum up, the potential of metal complexes as catalysts to reshape the landscape of anticancer therapies and foster novel avenues for therapeutic advancement is emphasized.

Waste Valorization in a Sustainable Bio-Based Economy: The Road to Carbon Neutrality

The development of sustainable chemistry underlying the quest to minimize and/or valorize waste in the carbon-neutral manufacture of chemicals is followed over the last four to five decades. Both chemo- and biocatalysis have played an indispensable role in this odyssey. in particular developments in protein engineering, metagenomics and bioinformatics over the preceding three decades have played a crucial supporting role in facilitating the widespread application of both whole cell and cell-free biocatalysis. The pressing need, driven by climate change mitigation, for a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, has precipitated an energy transition based on decarbonization of energy and defossilization of organic chemicals production. The latter involves waste biomass and/or waste CO2 as the feedstock and green electricity generated using solar, wind, hydroelectric or nuclear energy. The use of waste polysaccharides as feedstocks will underpin a renaissance in carbohydrate chemistry with pentoses and hexoses as base chemicals and bio-based solvents and polymers as environmentally friendly downstream products. The widespread availability of inexpensive electricity and solar energy has led to increasing attention for electro(bio)catalysis and photo(bio)catalysis which in turn is leading to myriad innovations in these fields.

Diels-Alder Cycloaddition of 2,5-Bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) and N-Phenylmaleimide Derivatives

Currently, amidst atmospheric menace where natural calamities such as wildfire and floods are becoming more frequent than ever, biobased derivatives offer a sustainable alternative to conventional ways, for instance, petrochemical commodities. Biobased products, obtained from agricultural waste, including 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF), 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF), and 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) are promising chemical platforms in the biorefinery, which is yet to be explored. The Diels-Alder cycloaddition of BHMF and N-phenylmaleimide derivatives under optimal reaction conditions is investigated in this report. First, HMF is reduced to BHMF in the presence of NaBH4, and then the Diels-Alder reaction of BHMF and N-phenylmaleimide derivatives is investigated to produce Diels-Alder adducts. All novel compounds are synthesized in acceptable yields and effectively characterized by employing important techniques such as one-dimensional (1D) NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, DEPT-90, and DEPT- 135), two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopy (1H-1H COSY, 1H-13C HSQC, and 1H-13C HMBC), IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectrum (QTOF), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD). Furthermore, this study underlines the necessity of sustainable synthetic methodologies and gives critical insights into the progress of ecologically friendly methodologies, providing a new avenue as a tunable precursor for the challenging functionalized polymer in the future.

Improved Electrosynthesis of Biomass Derived Furanic Compounds via Nitroxyl Radical Redox Mediation

Biomass is an abundantly available, underutilized feedstock for the production of bulk and fine chemicals, polymers, and sustainable and biodegradable plastics that are traditionally sourced from petrochemicals. Among potential feedstocks, 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) stands out for its potential to be converted to higher-value polymeric materials such as polyethylene furandicarboxylate (PEF), a bio-based plastic alternative. In this study, the sustainable, electrocatalytic oxidation of stable furan molecule 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) to FDCA is investigated using a variety of TEMPO derivative electrocatalysts in a mediated electrosynthetic reaction. Three TEMPO catalysts (acetamido-TEMPO, methoxy-TEMPO, and TEMPO) facilitate full conversion to FDCA in basic conditions with >90% yield and >100% Faradaic efficiency. The remaining three TEMPO catalysts (hydroxy-TEMPO, oxo-TEMPO, and amino-TEMPO) all perform intermediate oxidation of BHMF in basic conditions but do not facilitate full conversion to FDCA. On the basis of pH studies completed on all TEMPO derivatives to assess their electrochemical reversibility and response to substrate, pH and reversibility play significant roles in the catalytic ability of each catalyst, which directly influences catalyst turnover and product formation. More broadly, this study also highlights the importance of an effective and rapid electroanalytical workflow in mediated electrosynthetic reactions, demonstrating how voltammetric catalyst screening can serve as a useful tool for predicting the reactivity and efficacy of a catalyst-substrate electrochemical system.

Multistep Biooxidation of 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural to 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid with H2O2 by Unspecific Peroxygenases

5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) is a key platform chemical derived from renewable biomass sources, holding great potential as starting material for the synthesis of valuable compounds, thereby replacing petrochemical-derived counterparts. Among these valorised compounds, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) has emerged as a versatile building block. Here we demonstrate the biocatalytic synthesis of FDCA from HMF via a one-pot three-step oxidative cascade performed via two operative steps under mild reaction conditions employing two unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) using hydrogen peroxide as the only oxidant. The challenge of HMF oxidation by UPOs is the chemoselectivity of the first step, as one of the two possible oxidation products is only a poor substrate for further oxidation. The unspecific peroxygenase from Marasmius oreades (MorUPO) was found to oxidize 100 mM of HMF to 5-formyl-2-furoic acid (FFCA) with 95 % chemoselectivity. In the sequential one-pot cascade employing MorUPO (TON up to 13535) and the UPO from Agrocybe aegerita (AaeUPO, TON up to 7079), 100 mM of HMF were oxidized to FDCA reaching up to 99 % conversion and yielding 861 mg isolated pure crystalline FDCA, presenting the first example of a gram scale biocatalytic synthesis of FDCA involving UPOs.

Improving 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) tolerance of Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120 by automated adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE)

The aldehyde 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) is of great importance for a circular bioeconomy. It is a renewable platform chemical that can be converted into a range of useful compounds to replace petroleum-based products such as the green plastic monomer 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). However, it also exhibits microbial toxicity for example hindering the efficient biotechnological valorization of lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Thus, there is an urgent need for tolerance-improved organisms applicable to whole-cell biocatalysis. Here, we engineer an oxidation-deficient derivative of the naturally robust and emerging biotechnological workhorse P. taiwanensis VLB120 by robotics-assisted adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE). The deletion of HMF-oxidizing enzymes enabled for the first time evolution under constant selection pressure by the aldehyde, yielding strains with consistently improved growth characteristics in presence of the toxicant. Genome sequencing of evolved clones revealed loss-of function mutations in the LysR-type transcriptional regulator-encoding mexT preventing expression of the associated efflux pump mexEF-oprN. This knowledge allowed reverse engineering of strains with enhanced aldehyde tolerance, even in a background of active or overexpressed HMF oxidation machinery, demonstrating a synergistic effect of two distinct tolerance mechanisms.

An unexpected role of EasDaf: catalyzing the conversion of chanoclavine aldehyde to chanoclavine acid

Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are a diverse group of indole alkaloids known for their complex structures, significant pharmacological effects, and toxicity to plants. The biosynthesis of these compounds begins with chanoclavine-I aldehyde (CC aldehyde, 2), an important intermediate produced by the enzyme EasDaf or its counterpart FgaDH from chanoclavine-I (CC, 1). However, how CC aldehyde 2 is converted to chanoclavine-I acid (CC acid, 3), first isolated from Ipomoea violacea several decades ago, is still unclear. In this study, we provide in vitro biochemical evidence showing that EasDaf not only converts CC 1 to CC aldehyde 2 but also directly transforms CC 1 into CC acid 3 through two sequential oxidations. Molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis experiments confirmed the crucial role of two amino acids, Y166 and S153, within the active site, which suggests that Y166 acts as a general base for hydride transfer, while S153 facilitates proton transfer, thereby increasing the acidity of the reaction. KEY POINTS: • EAs possess complicated skeletons and are widely used in several clinical diseases • EasDaf belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) and converted CC or CC aldehyde to CC acid • The catalytic mechanism of EasDaf for dehydrogenation was analyzed by molecular docking and site mutations.

Synergistic Interaction between Ruthenium Catalysts and Grafted Niobium on SBA-15 for 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid Production Using 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

This study entailed the synthesis of Ru nanocatalyst decorated on Nb-grafted SBA-15. A Nb-grafted SBA-15 support with varying Nb contents was utilized as a support for the Ru nanoparticles. The effect of Nb grafting on the immobilized Ru nanoparticle catalyst was systematically investigated, and its catalytic performance in the synthesis of furandicarboxylic acid using 5-hydroxymethylfurfural under base-free reaction conditions was evaluated. The results indicate the increased productivity of the Ru@Nb-grafted SBA-15 catalyst with a yield exceeding 95%, representing a significant advancement in catalysis. This study also affords insights into the complex relationship between the catalytic activity and selectivity and its unique surface attributes. Moreover, acidic sites were created, and the electron density within the active sites was modulated by monomeric Nb oxide species on the SBA-15. Additionally, the role of high-electron-density Ru atoms in facilitating the efficient adsorption and activation of the reactant, resulting in enhanced catalytic efficacy, was highlighted.

Recent Advancements in Electrochemical Hydrogen Production via Hybrid Water Splitting

As one of the most promising approaches to producing high-purity hydrogen (H2 ), electrochemical water splitting powered by the renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power has attracted considerable interest over the past decade. However, the water electrolysis process is seriously hampered by the sluggish electrode reaction kinetics, especially the four-electron oxygen evolution reaction at the anode side, which induces a high reaction overpotential. Currently, the emerging hybrid electrochemical water splitting strategy is proposed by integrating thermodynamically favorable electro-oxidation reactions with hydrogen evolution reaction at the cathode, providing a new opportunity for energy-efficient H2 production. To achieve highly efficient and cost-effective hybrid water splitting toward large-scale practical H2 production, much work has been continuously done to exploit the alternative anodic oxidation reactions and cutting-edge electrocatalysts. This review will focus on recent developments on electrochemical H2 production coupled with alternative oxidation reactions, including the choice of anodic substrates, the investigation on electrocatalytic materials, and the deep understanding of the underlying reaction mechanisms. Finally, some insights into the scientific challenges now standing in the way of future advancement of the hybrid water electrolysis technique are shared, in the hope of inspiring further innovative efforts in this rapidly growing field.

Engineering 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) oxidation in Pseudomonas boosts tolerance and accelerates 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) production

Due to its tolerance properties, Pseudomonas has gained particular interest as host for oxidative upgrading of the toxic aldehyde 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a promising biobased alternative to terephthalate in polyesters. However, until now, the native enzymes responsible for aldehyde oxidation are unknown. Here, we report the identification of the primary HMF-converting enzymes of P. taiwanensis VLB120 and P. putida KT2440 by extended gene deletions. The key players in HMF oxidation are a molybdenum-dependent periplasmic oxidoreductase and a cytoplasmic dehydrogenase. Deletion of the corresponding genes almost completely abolished HMF oxidation, leading instead to aldehyde reduction. In this context, two HMF-reducing dehydrogenases were also revealed. These discoveries enabled enhancement of Pseudomonas' furanic aldehyde oxidation machinery by genomic overexpression of the respective genes. The resulting BOX strains (Boosted OXidation) represent superior hosts for biotechnological synthesis of FDCA from HMF. The increased oxidation rates provide greatly elevated HMF tolerance, thus tackling one of the major drawbacks of whole-cell catalysis with this aldehyde. Furthermore, the ROX (Reduced OXidation) and ROAR (Reduced Oxidation And Reduction) deletion mutants offer a solid foundation for future development of Pseudomonads as biotechnological chassis notably for scenarios where rapid HMF conversion is undesirable.

Spectrophotometric Assay for the Detection of 2,5-Diformylfuran and Its Validation through Laccase-Mediated Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

Modern biocatalysis requires fast, sensitive, and efficient high-throughput screening methods to screen enzyme libraries in order to seek out novel biocatalysts or enhanced variants for the production of chemicals. For instance, the synthesis of bio-based furan compounds like 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) via aerobic oxidation is a crucial process in industrial chemistry. Laccases, known for their mild operating conditions, independence from cofactors, and versatility with various substrates, thanks to the use of chemical mediators, are appealing candidates for catalyzing HMF oxidation. Herein, Schiff-based polymers based on the coupling of DFF and 1,4-phenylenediamine (PPD) have been used in the set-up of a novel colorimetric assay for detecting the presence of DFF in different reaction mixtures. This method may be employed for the fast screening of enzymes (Z' values ranging from 0.68 to 0.72). The sensitivity of the method has been proved, and detection (8.4 μM) and quantification (25.5 μM) limits have been calculated. Notably, the assay displayed selectivity for DFF and enabled the measurement of kinetics in DFF production from HMF using three distinct laccase-mediator systems.

Effective biosynthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural via a bi-enzymatic cascade system using bacterial laccase and fungal alcohol oxidase

BACKGROUND

As a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach, biocatalysis has great potential for the transformation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). However, the compatibility of each enzyme in the cascade reaction limits the transformation efficiency of HMF to FDCA.

RESULTS

Coupled with an alcohol oxidase from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (CglAlcOx), this study aims to study the potential of bacterial laccase from Bacillus pumilus (BpLac) in an enzymatic cascade for 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) biosynthesis from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). BpLac showed 100% selectivity for HMF oxidation and generated 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA). CglAlcOx was capable of oxidizing HMFCA to 2-formyl-5-furancarboxylic acid (FFCA). Both BpLac and CglAlcOx could oxidize FFCA to FDCA. At the 5 mM scale, a complete transformation of HMF with a 97.5% yield of FDCA was achieved by coupling BpLac with CglAlcOx in the cascade reaction. The FDCA productivity in the reaction was 5.3 mg/L/h. Notably, BpLac could alleviate the inhibitory effect of FFCA on CglAlcOx activity and boost the transformation efficiency of HMF to FDCA. Moreover, the reaction was scaled up to 40 times the volume, and FDCA titer reached 2.6 mM with a yield of 58.77% at 168 h.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provides a candidate and novel insight for better design of an enzymatic cascade in FDCA production.

Whole-cell synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid from pineapple waste under various fermentation strategies

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is one of the platform chemicals and monomers used in plastic industries, currently synthesized by carcinogenic and toxic chemical processes with high pressure and temperature. The aim of this study was to develop a bioprocess for the production of FDCA. 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) was synthesized (22.67 ± 1.36 g/l/h) from pineapple peel using chromium(III) chloride (CrCl3) at 100 °C. After optimization, approximately 3 mg/l/h FDCA was produced by Aspergillus flavus APLS-1 from HMF in a 2.5 L fermenter in a batch strategy. Parallel and immobilized packed bad bioreactors showed less production of FDCA. A fed-batch strategy produced 3.5 ± 0.3 mg/l/h of FDCA in shake flasks. Also, approximately 0.55 mg/l/h of FDCA was produced from pineapple waste derived HMF. However, these bioprocesses may be improved to increase the yield of renewable FDCA, in the future. This is the first report on FDCA production from pineapple waste.

Oxygen Vacancy-Induced Metal-Support Interactions in AuPd/ZrO2 Catalysts for Boosting 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Oxidation

The construction of strong metal-support interactions in oxide-supported noble metal nanocatalysts has been considered an emerging and efficient way in improving catalytic performance in biomass-upgrading reactions. Herein, a citric acid (CA)-assisted synthesized ZrO2 layer with improved oxygen vacancy (Ov) concentrations on a natural clay mineral of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) was designed. Moreover, AuxPdy/ZrO2@HNTs-zCA catalysts were prepared by loading AuPd bimetal and employed for aerobic oxidation of the lignocellulosic biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) platform to the bioplastic monomer 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) with water as the solvent. The results of catalytic experiments revealed that the Au3Pd1/ZrO2@HNTs-1.0CA catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic activity at 0.5 MPa O2, with a satisfactory FDCA yield of 99.5% and outstanding FDCA formation rate of 1057.9 mmol·g-1·h-1. The improved Ov concentration in the ZrO2 support enhanced the adsorption and activation ability of the catalyst for O2, and a higher Lewis acid concentration provided a stronger adsorption ability of the catalyst for reaction substrates. Besides, the synergistic effect of AuPd bimetallic nanoparticles steered the tandem oxidation of aldehyde and alcohol groups in HMF and accelerated the rate-determining step. More importantly, the relationship between the Ov concentration and catalytic performance also demonstrated that the enhanced catalytic activity for HMF oxidation was mainly attributed to the active interface of AuPd-ZrOx. This work offers fresh insights into rationally designing oxygen vacancy-driven strong interactions between the oxide support and noble nanoparticles for the catalytic upgrade of biomass platform chemicals.

Chemoselective Lipase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Amido Derivatives from 5-Hydroxymethylfurfurylamine

The acylations of furfurylamine and 5-hydroxymethylfurfurylamine (HMFA) have been studied finding immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) as an ideal biocatalyst. CALB was used immobilized on two different supports (Novozyme 435 and EziG-CALB), with the polymer-coated controlled porosity glass carrier material from EnginZyme being an excellent carrier to yield an active and stable enzymatic preparation for the acylation of the primary amine group. The amount of the acyl donor in the reaction was a key factor to achieve the mono- and chemoselective N-protection of HMFA with large excess of ethyl acetate leading to the formation of the N,O-diacetylated product. Thus, a series of 16 nonactivated esters were used to selectively modify the amine group of HMFA, obtaining 9 hydroxy amides under mild reaction conditions and with quantitative yields through chromatography-free transformations. The influence of substrate concentration was studied, resulting in complete conversions in all cases after 22 h (100-1000 mM). Excellent results were observed at 100 and 200 mM of HMFA, while higher concentrations led to longer reaction times and, to some extent, the formation of the diacetylated product (up to 7% after 22 h at 1 M). After this optimization, a metric analysis was performed to confirm the high sustainability of the presented process (E-factor of 1.1 excluding solvents) upon intensification of the biotransformation to 1 g at 200 mM HMFA concentration. The possibility of obtaining orthogonally protected HMFA-derived amido esters has been achieved through a clean and sequential one-pot process using EziG-CALB, which involved the use of ethyl methoxy acetate as the nonactivated ester for N-acylation and the activated vinyl acetate for O-protection.

Oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural with a novel aryl alcohol oxidase from Mycobacterium sp. MS1601

Bio-based 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) serves as an important platform for several chemicals, among which 2,5-furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) has attracted considerable interest as a monomer for the production of polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a potential alternative for fossil-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This study is based on the HMF oxidizing activity shown by Mycobacterium sp. MS 1601 cells and investigation of the enzyme catalysing the oxidation. The Mycobacterium whole cells oxidized the HMF to FDCA (60% yield) and hydroxymethyl furan carboxylic acid (HMFCA). A gene encoding a novel bacterial aryl alcohol oxidase, hereinafter MycspAAO, was identified in the genome and was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli Bl21 (DE3). The purified MycspAAO displayed activity against several alcohols and aldehydes; 3,5 dimethoxy benzyl alcohol (veratryl alcohol) was the best substrate among those tested followed by HMF. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural was converted to 5-formyl-2-furoic acid (FFCA) via diformyl furan (DFF) with optimal activity at pH 8 and 30-40°C. FDCA formation was observed during long reaction time with low HMF concentration. Mutagenesis of several amino acids shaping the active site and evaluation of the variants showed Y444F to have around 3-fold higher kcat /Km and ~1.7-fold lower Km with HMF.

Current Advances in the Sustainable Conversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural into 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is currently considered one of the most relevant bio-sourced building blocks, representing a fully sustainable competitor for terephthalic acid as well as the main component in green polymers such as poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF). The oxidation of biobased 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) represents the most straightforward approach to obtain FDCA, thus attracting the attention of both academia and industries, as testified by Avantium with the creation of a new plant expected to produce 5000 tons per year. Several approaches allow the oxidation of HMF to FDCA. Metal-mediated homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, metal-free catalysis, electrochemical approaches, light-mediated procedures, as well as biocatalytic processes share the target to achieve FDCA in high yield and mild conditions. This Review aims to give an up-to-date overview of the current developments in the main synthetic pathways to obtain FDCA from HMF, with a specific focus on process sustainability.

Recent Advances in the Catalytic Hydroconversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural to Valuable Diols

Biomass, a globally available resource, is a promising alternative feedstock for fossil fuels, especially considering the current energy crisis and pollution. Biomass-derived diols, such as 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan, 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-tetrahydrofuran, and 1,6-hexanediol, are a significant class of monomers in the polyester industry. Therefore, the catalytic conversion of biomass to valuable diols has received extensive research attention in the field of biomass conversion and is a crucial factor in determining the development of the polyester industry. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is an important biomass-derived compound with a C6-furanic framework. The hydroconversion of HMF into diols has the advantages of being simple to operate, inexpensive, environmentally friendly, safe, and reliable. Therefore, in the field of diol synthesis, this method is regarded as a promising approach with significant industrialization potential. This review summarizes recent advances in diol formation, discusses the roles of catalysts in the hydroconversion process, highlights the reaction mechanisms associated with the specificities of each active center, and provides an outlook on the challenges and opportunities associated with the research on biomass-derived diol synthesis.

Enzymatic Cascade for the Synthesis of 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid in Biphasic and Microaqueous Conditions: 'Media-Agnostic' Biocatalysts for Biorefineries

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is produced upon dehydration of C6 sugars in biorefineries. As the product, it remains either in aqueous solutions, or is in situ extracted to an organic medium (biphasic system). For the subsequent oxidation of HMF to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), 'media-agnostic' catalysts that can be efficiently used in different conditions, from aqueous to biphasic, and to organic (microaqueous) media, are of interest. Here, the concept of a one-pot biocatalytic cascade for production of FDCA from HMF was reported, using galactose oxidase (GalOx) for the formation of 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF), followed by the lipase-mediated peracid oxidation of DFF to FDCA. GalOx maintained its catalytic activity upon exposure to a range of organic solvents with only 1 % (v/v) of water. The oxidation of HMF to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) was successfully established in ethyl acetate-based biphasic or microaqueous systems. To validate the concept, the reaction was conducted at 5 % (v/v) water, and integrated in a cascade where DFF was subsequently oxidized to FDCA in a reaction catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B.

Applications of synthetic light-driven microbial consortia for biochemicals production

Synthetic microbial consortia provide a versatile and efficient platform for biochemicals production through the labor division. Especially, microbial communities composed of phototrophs and heterotrophs offer a promising alternative, as they can directly convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into chemicals. Within this system, photoautotrophic microbes can convert CO₂ into organic carbon for microbial growth and metabolites synthesis by the heterotrophic partners. In return, heterotrophs can provide additional CO₂ to support the growth of photoautotrophic microbes. However, the unmatched growing conditions, low stability and production efficiency of synthetic microbial consortia hinder their further applications. Thus, design and construction of mutualistic and stable synthetic light-driven microbial consortia are urgently needed. In this review, the progress of synthetic light-driven microbial consortia for chemicals production was comprehensively summarized. In addition, space-efficient synthetic light-driven microbial consortia in hydrogel system were reviewed. Perspectives on orderly distribution of light-driven microbial consortia associated with 3D printing technology in biomanufacturing were also addressed.

Advances in the Catalytic Reductive Amination of Furfural to Furfural Amine: The Momentous Role of Active Metal Sites

One-pot synthesis of sustainable primary amines by catalytic reductive amination of bio-based carbonyl compounds with NH₃ and H₂ is emerging as a promising and robust approach. The primary amines, especially furfuryl amine (FUA) derived from furfural (FUR), with a wide range of applications from pharmaceuticals to agrochemicals, have attracted much attention due to their versatility. This Review is majorly comprised of two segments on the reductive amination of FUR to FUA, one with precious (Ru, Pd, Rh) and the other with non-precious (Co, Ni) metals on different supports and in various solvent systems in the presence of NH₃ and H₂ . The active metal sites generated on multiple supports are accentuated with experimental evidence based on CO-diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy, H₂ temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and calorimetry. Moreover, this Review comprehensively describes the role of acidic and basic support for the metal on the yield of FUA. Overall, this Review provides an insight into how to design and develop an efficiently robust catalyst for the selective reductive amination of a broad spectrum of carbonyl compounds to corresponding amines.

Recent advances in (chemo)enzymatic cascades for upgrading bio-based resources

Developing (chemo)enzymatic cascades is very attractive for green synthesis, because they streamline multistep synthetic processes. In this Feature Article, we have summarized the recent advances in in vitro or whole-cell cascade reactions with a focus on the use of renewable bio-based resources as starting materials. This includes the synthesis of rare sugars (such as ketoses, L-ribulose, D-tagatose, myo-inositol or aminosugars) from readily available carbohydrate sources (cellulose, hemi-cellulose, starch), in vitro enzyme pathways to convert glucose to various biochemicals, cascades to convert 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural obtained from lignin or xylose into novel precursors for polymer synthesis, the syntheses of phenolic compounds, cascade syntheses of aliphatic and highly reduced chemicals from plant oils and fatty acids, upgrading of glycerol or ethanol as well as cascades to transform natural L-amino acids into high-value (chiral) compounds. In several examples these processes have demonstrated their efficiency with respect to high space-time yields and low E-factors enabling mature green chemistry processes. Also, the strengths and limitations are discussed and an outlook is provided for improving the existing and developing new cascades.

Recent Advances in Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid

Converting biomass into high value-added compounds has attracted great attention for solving fossil fuel consumption and global warming. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has been considered as a versatile biomass-derived building block that can be used to synthesize a variety of sustainable fuels and chemicals. Among these derivatives, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a desirable alternative to petroleum-derived terephthalic acid for the synthesis of biodegradable polyesters. Herein, to fully understand the current development of the catalytic conversion of biomass to FDCA, a comprehensive review of the catalytic conversion of cellulose biomass to HMF and the oxidation of HMF to FDCA is presented. Moreover, future research directions and general trends of using biomass for FDCA production are also proposed.

Optimizing operational parameters for the enzymatic production of furandicarboxylic acid building block

BACKGROUND

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is a precursor for green plastics due to its structural similarity to terephthalic acid, a common precursor of oil-derived polymers, and its potential production from sugars obtained from plant biomass. Hydroxymethylfurfural oxidase (HMFO) has been reported as a promising biocatalyst for FDCA production since it can convert bio-based 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into FDCA building block. This three-step oxidation reaction occurs through the diformylfuran and 2,5-formylfurancarboxylic acid (FFCA) intermediates. Several efforts have been made for the development of HMFO variants that increase FDCA yields by improving their activities over the reaction intermediates. However, there is still limited insight into how operational conditions can influence these enzymatic reactions. The setup of optimal reaction conditions would enable to understand potential problems hampering the effective industrial production of this bioplastic precursor using HMFO as biocatalyst.

RESULTS

In this work, several parameters affecting the performance of Methylovorus sp HMFO oxidizing HMF have been analyzed for the wild-type enzyme, and its V367R and W466F single variants, V367R/W466F double variant, and I73V/H74Y/G356H/V367R/T414K/A419Y/A435E/W466F (8BxHMFO) octuple variant. Our results show how the oxidation of HMF by HMFO enzymes is highly influenced by pH, with different optimal pH values for the different improved variants. Moreover, the enzymes are not stable at high hydrogen peroxide concentrations and their activity is inhibited by the FFCA intermediate in a pH-dependent way. These limitations can be efficiently overcome with the addition of catalase to the reaction medium, which removes the hydrogen peroxide formed during the oxidations, and the controlled dosage of the substrate to limit the amount of FFCA accumulated in the reaction. The different behavior of wild-type HMFO and its variants against pH, hydrogen peroxide and FFCA highlights the importance of considering each variant as an individual enzyme with its own operational conditions for an eventual industrial FDCA production.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provides information of those parameters that condition a high production of FDCA by HMFO. Unraveling these factors allowed to increase the FDCA yields by using the most stable enzymes at their optimal pH for HMF oxidation, removing the peroxide with catalase, and avoiding FFCA accumulation by controlling substrate and/or enzyme concentration. These above findings will be useful when planning a future scale-up of these conversions and will provide new viewpoints for the design of HMFO variants that render a more effective performance during HMF conversion into FDCA.

Prospects of Using Biocatalysis for the Synthesis and Modification of Polymers

Trends in the dynamically developing application of biocatalysis for the synthesis and modification of polymers over the past 5 years are considered, with an emphasis on the production of biodegradable, biocompatible and functional polymeric materials oriented to medical applications. The possibilities of using enzymes not only as catalysts for polymerization but also for the preparation of monomers for polymerization or oligomers for block copolymerization are considered. Special attention is paid to the prospects and existing limitations of biocatalytic production of new synthetic biopolymers based on natural compounds and monomers from biomass, which can lead to a huge variety of functional biomaterials. The existing experience and perspectives for the integration of bio- and chemocatalysis in this area are discussed.