A research team led by Prof. ZHANG Tao and Prof. LI Ning from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has synthesized renewable nylon monomers with poplar wood.

This study was published in Chem Catalysis on Feb. 14.

The researchers explored the hydrogenolysis of poplar wood over the Pd/C catalyst in the toluene/NaCl aqueous solution biphase system.

They found that the total carbon yield of cyclopentanone, 3-methylcyclopentanone, 2,5-hexanedione and 2,5-dimethylfuran reached to 39.2% under the investigated conditions. These compounds could be further converted to nylon monomers such as methyl-glutaric acid, glutaric acid, dimethyl methyl adipate and dimethyl adipate.

"This work has great significance for the catalytic conversion of raw biomass into important chemicals," said Prof. LI.

The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Synthesis of renewable nylon monomers with poplar wood (Image by DICP)