A team of US researchers from the universities of Delaware, Minnesota and Massachusetts has devised a process for developing butadiene from renewable sources such as trees and grasses. The molecule is traditionally made from petroleum or natural gas and is used in the creation of plastics and synthetic rubber. Using a three-step process starting from biomass-derived sugars, the researchers converted sugars to a ring compound, which was further processed to form tetrahydrofuran (THF). Then, using a chemical catalyst called "phosphorous all-silica zeolite," the team converted the THF into butadiene with a 95 percent yield.
A team of US researchers from the universities of Delaware, Minnesota and Massachusetts has devised a process for developing butadiene from renewable sources such as trees and grasses. The molecule is traditionally made from petroleum or natural gas and is used in the creation of plastics and synthetic rubber. Using a three-step process starting from biomass-derived sugars, the researchers converted sugars to a ring compound, which was further processed to form tetrahydrofuran (THF). Then, using a chemical catalyst called "phosphorous all-silica zeolite," the team converted the THF into butadiene with a 95% yield.