Biomass conversion to fuels and chemicals
View Patent ↗This disclosure relates to compositions and methods for converting biomass to various chemical intermediates and final products including fuels. Aspects include the depolymerization of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose to a wide slate of depolymerization compounds that can be subsequently metabolized by genetically modified bacterium, and converted to cis,cis-muconic acid. Other aspects include the use of monometallic catalysts for converting the cis,cis-muconic acid to commodity chemicals and fuels, for example adipic acid and/or nylon.
1. A process for producing adipic acid, the process comprising:
contacting a culture broth comprising a lignin depolymerization compound with a genetically modified prokaryotic microorganism comprising a first exogenous genetic addition encoding at least a 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase and a phenol monooxygenase, wherein the genetically modified prokaryotic microorganism converts at least a portion of the lignin depolymerization compound to cis, cis-muconic acid;
separating the cis, cis-muconic acid from the culture broth;
purifying the separated cis, cis-muconic acid; and
hydrogenating at least a portion of the purified cis, cis-muconic acid to produce the adipic acid.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the separating comprises at least one of centrifugation or filtration.
3. The process of claim 1 , wherein:
the purifying comprises contacting the separated cis, cis-muconic acid with an adsorbent, and
the adsorbent removes a first portion of an impurity from the separated cis, cis-muconic acid.
4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the adsorbent comprises activated carbon.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the lignin depolymerization compound comprises at least one of benzoic acid or 4-hydroxybenzoic acid.
6. The process of claim 3 , wherein the purifying further comprises crystallizing at least a portion of the cis, cis-muconic acid from the separated cis, cis-muconic acid to form a cis, cis-muconic acid precipitate and a liquid that contains a second portion of the impurity.
7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the purifying further comprises:
dissolving the cis, cis-muconic acid precipitate in a solvent, resulting in a liquid phase comprising the cis, cis-muconic acid and a solid phase comprising a third portion of the impurity; and
separating the liquid phase from the solid phase.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the separating of the liquid phase from the solid phase is by at least one of filtration or centrifugation.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenating comprises contacting the purified cis, cis-muconic acid and diatomic hydrogen with a metallic catalyst.
10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the metallic catalyst comprises at least one of palladium, platinum, ruthenium, or rhodium.
11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the at least one of palladium, platinum, ruthenium, or rhodium is supported by at least one of activated carbon or silica.
12. The process of claim 11 , wherein the metallic catalyst comprises rhodium supported by activated carbon.