Multicatalytic, Light-Driven Upgrading of Butanol to 2-Ethylhexenal and Hydrogen under Mild Aqueous Conditions.

ABSTRACT: Microbes produce low-molecular-weight alcohols from sugar, but these metabolites are difficult to separate from water and possess relatively low heating values. A combination of photo-, organo-, and enzyme catalysis is shown here to convert C₄ butanol (BuOH) to C₈ 2-ethylhexenal (2-EH) using only solar energy to drive the process. First, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) catalyzed the oxidation of BuOH to butyraldehyde (BA), using NAD⁺ as a cofactor. To prevent back reaction, NAD+ was regenerated using a platinum-seeded cadmium sulfide (Pt@CdS) photocatalyst. An amine-based organocatalyst then upgraded BA to 2-EH under mild aqueous conditions rather than harsh basic conditions in order to preserve enzyme and photocatalyst stability. The process also simultaneousl

SUBMITTER: Hafenstine GR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7597829 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature