Synthesis of mono and di esters from biologically-produced 1,3-propanediol

1. A process for forming an ester from 1,3-propanediol comprising:

(a) providing 1,3-propanediol with at least 90% biobased carbon, wherein the biobased carbon has a C-14/C-12 isotope ratio in range of from 1:0 to greater than 0:1;

(b) contacting the 1,3-propanediol with an acid, forming the ester; and

(c) recovering the ester, wherein said ester has a lower anthropogenic CO 2 emission profile as compared to an ester formed from 1,3-propanediol with a biobased carbon content of 0%.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the contacting of the 1,3-propanediol with an acid is in the presence of a catalyst.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the catalyst can be categorized as a member of one or more of the categories selected from the group consisting of acids, bases, salts, alkoxides, heterogeneous, catalysts, metal salts, enzymes, organic acids, and organometalic compounds.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the catalyst is one or more members of the group consisting of sulfuric acid, or p-toluene sulfonic acid, sodium hydroxide, potassium acetate, titanium tetraisopropoxide, zeolite, heteropolyacid, amberlyst, ion exchange resin, tin chloride, or copper chloride, formic acid, and n-butylstannoic acid.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the acid is an organic acid.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein, wherein the organic acid has the formula R—COOH, wherein the substituent R can be a saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched or aromatic hydrocarbon having chain length 1 to 40.

7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the organic acid has the formula R—COOH, and the substituent R can have one or more functional groups such as alkene, amide, amine, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, halide, hydroxyl groups, ether, alkyl ether, sulfate and ethersulfate.

8. The process of claim 5 wherein the organic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid.

9. The process of claim 5 wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of: acetic, butyric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic, benzoic, caprylic, maleic, sebacic, palmitoleic, pentadecanoic, heptadecanoic, nondecanoic, octadectetraenoic, eicosatetraenoic, eicosapentaenoic, docasapentaenoic, tetra cosapentaenoic, tetrahexaenoic, (alpha)-linolenic, docosahexaenoic, linoleic, arachidonic, oleic, erucic, formic, propionic, valeric, caproic, capric, malonic, succinic, glutaric, adipic, pimelic, suberic, azelaic, tartaric, citric, salicylic, acetyl-salicylic, pelargonic, behenic, cerotic, margaric, montanic, melissic, lacceroic, ceromelissic, geddic, ceroplastic, undecylenic, ricinoleic, elaeostearic acid, and mixtures thereof.

10. The process of claim 5 wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic, adipic, benzoic, maleic, sebacic, butyric, valeric, caproic, caprylic, pelargonic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, cerotic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, margaric, montanic, melissic, lacceroic, ceromelissic, geddic, ceroplastic, and mixtures thereof.

11. The process of claim 5 wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of stearic, lauric, palmitic, oleic, 2-ethyl hexanoic, 12-hydroxystearic acid, and mixtures thereof.

12. The process of claim 5 , wherein the organic acid is stearic acid.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the 1,3-propanediol has at least 95% biobased carbon.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein the 1,3-propanediol has 100% biobased carbon.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the ester has the formula R1-C(═O)—O—CH2-CH2-CH2-OH, wherein R1 is a linear branched, cyclic or aromatic.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the ester has the formula R1-C(═O)—O—CH2-CH2-CH2-O—C(═O)-R2, wherein R1 and R2 are linear branched, cyclic or aromatic.

17. The process of claim 15 wherein R1 and R2 are the same carbon chain.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ester recovered is selected from one or more members of the group consisting of:

i. propanediol distearate, monostearate and a mixture thereof;

ii. propandiol dilaurate, monolaurate and a mixture thereof;

iii. propanediol dioleate, monooleate and a mixture thereof;

iv. propanediol divalerate, monovalerate and a mixture thereof;

v. propanediol dicaprylate, monocaprylate and a mixture thereof;

vi. propanediol dimyristate, monomyristate and a mixture thereof;

vii. propanediol dipalmitate, monopalmitate and a mixture thereof;

viii. propanediol dibehenate, monobehenate and a mixture thereof;

ix. propanediol adipate;

x. propanediol maleate;

xi. propanediol dibenzoate, and;

xii. propanediol diacetate.

19. A process for producing an ester, either or both a monoester and a diester, from biologically-produced 1,3-propanediol, comprising:

(a) providing 1,3-propanediol produced biologically through fermentation and catalytic conversion of atmospheric carbon, wherein the carbon has a C-14/C-12 isotope ratio in range of from 1:0 to greater than 0:1;

(b) contacting said 1,3-propanediol with an organic acid, wherein said ester is produced; and

(c) recovering said ester, wherein said ester has a lower anthropogenic CO 2 emission profile as compared to an ester produced from 1,3-propanediol derived from petrochemical carbon.

20. The process of claim 19 wherein the biologically-produced 1,3-propanediol has at least one of the following characteristics: 1) an ultraviolet absorption of less than about 0.200 at 220 nm and less than about 0.075 at 250 nm and less than about 0.075 at 275 nm; 2) a composition having L*a*b* “b*” color value of less than about 0.15 and an absorbance of less than about 0.075 at 270 nm; 3) a peroxide composition of less than about 10 ppm; and 4) a concentration of total organic impurities of less than about 400 ppm.

21. The process of claim 19 wherein the organic acid is steric acid or oleic acid and the ester recovered is greater than 5% biobased carbon.

22. The process of claim 19 wherein the organic acid is lauric acid and the ester recovered is greater than 10% biobased carbon.