Synthetic Polyester from Algae Oil1. Issue 26 (20th May 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Roesle, Philipp; Stempfle, Florian; Hess, Sandra K.; Zimmerer, Julia; Río Bártulos, Carolina; Lepetit, Bernard; Eckert, Angelika; Kroth, Peter G.; Mecking, Stefan
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 53:Issue 26(2014)
• Page Start: 6800
• Page End: 6804
• Publication Date: 2014-05-20
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201403991
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Current efforts to technically use microalgae focus on the generation of fuels with a molecular structure identical to crude oil based products. Here we suggest a different approach for the utilization of algae by translating the unique molecular structures of algae oil fatty acids into higher value chemical intermediates and materials. A crude extract from a microalga, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, was obtained as a multicomponent mixture containing amongst others unsaturated fatty acid (16:1, 18:1, and 20:5) phosphocholine triglycerides. Exposure of this crude algae oil to CO and methanol with the known catalyst precursor [{1, 2‐(<italic>t</italic>Bu₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₄}Pd(OTf)](OTf) resulted in isomerization/methoxycarbonylation of the unsaturated fatty acids into a mixture of linear 1, 17‐ and 1, 19‐diesters in high purity (&gt;99 %). Polycondensation with a mixture of the corresponding diols yielded a novel mixed polyester‐17/19.17/19 with an advantageously high melting and crystallization temperature.</p> </abstract>