Adipic acid, Draths-Frost synthesis

Figure 12.7. Draths—Frost synthesis of adipic acid (compare to the benzene-based synthesis).

On the contrary, in the Draths-Frost synthesis of adipic acid (see Figure 12.7) the starting material is... 

Niu, W., Draths, K.M. and Frost, J.W. (2002) Benzene-free synthesis of adipic acid. Biotechnol. Prog., 18, 201. 

Draths, K. M. Frost, J. W. Environmentally Compatible Synthesis of Adipic Acid from D-Glucose, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994,116, 399-400. 

Draths KM, Frost JW (1994) Environmentally compatible synthesis of adipic acid from D-glucose. J Am Chem Soc 116 399... 

Genetically engineered microbes have been used by Draths and Frost (1998a, b) to synthesize common but important chemicals such as adipic acid and catechol (see Fig. 3.23). The noteworthy aspect of this work is that the starting materials were renewable feedstock. The principles of green chemistry state that "a raw material of feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting wherever technically and economically practicable" (Anastas and Warner, 1998). This reaction addresses this principle and more, as it can be seen. Classical catechol synthesis beginning with benzene (obtained from petroleum, a nonrenewable feedstock) involves a multistep process (see Fig. 3.22). 

An environmentally benign (or green) synthesis of adipic acid, catechol and BHT (a potential replacement for BHT) has been developed by John W. Frost and Karen M. Draths starting with glucose and using a biocatalyst (genetically altered E. coli bacteria) (Scheme 5). 

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