Hybrid Catalysis: A Suitable Concept for the Valorization of Biosourced Saccharides to Value-Added Chemicals
Résumé
Through biomass valorization, sugars can become a major
carbon resource for the production of fuels and chemicals by
using catalysis. Hybrid catalysis, a direct combination of biocatalysis
and chemocatalysis, may yield innovative solutions. 5-
Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a platform molecule derived
from glucose, for which fructose is a key intermediate. To overcome
the thermodynamic enzymatic equilibrium between glucose
and fructose, two methodologies based on hybrid
catalysis are described herein. In the first method, the glucose
isomerase and fructose-to-5-HMF dehydration chemocatalysts
are simultaneously implemented in a multiphasic way to imply
the complexation and transport of fructose. The second
method proposes a route through sorbitol, obtained by the
hydrogenation of glucose. Sorbitol is then enzymatically converted
into fructose, whereas regeneration of the cofactor is
performed in situ with an organometallic complex as a
chemocatalyst.